THE CHALLENGE OF DIABETES
All stakeholders should do more to stem this public health emergency
Tomorrow, 14 November, the World Diabetes Day, is important not solely because of the discovery of insulin by Canadian pharmacologist, Dr. Frederick Banting (on his birthday) but more to raise awareness about a lifestyle disease that is still incurable. With the theme, ‘Early action on diabetes,’ this year marks the beginning of a two-year campaign (2026–2027) which focuses on early diagnosis, risk reduction and access to care. It is therefore important that the federal government and other stakeholders address this huge burden by taking more seriously a recent warning by the World Health Organisation (WHO) about the growing prevalence of the disease in Nigeria. It is also important that those who nurse the disease in the country keep regular follow-up appointments with their doctors, take medications as prescribed, and make certain lifestyle changes.
For clarity, diabetes is a chronic disease that the body builds up because it is no longer able to regulate the sugar it takes in, thereby leading to several other illnesses, and in some cases, death. This silent killer has been linked to stroke, kidney diseases, heart disease, vision loss, amputations, bone disease, depression, among others. And by not fully integrating the disease into primary healthcare, access to care is harder. Most primary health facilities in the country have no budget or medication for diabetics, and worse still, the few diabetics specialists in the country have been deployed to secondary and tertiary facilities, taking them further away from communities where their expertise is needed. Meanwhile, the disease is gradually sweeping across all age groups and social divide in the country.
In Nigeria, according to experts, many factors have spurred the increase in the number of diabetics, chief among them is cost of management. Market survey has shown that treatment is now quite expensive. In a country where over 129 million persons are living below the poverty line, not many people can afford diabetes medication, which effectively means the majority of diabetics will have to suffer the associated complications and eventually die from it. This has made many to stop treatment of the disease or resort to unscientific methods which may be harmful to their body.
For middle class Nigerians, it is only a matter of time before the out-of-pocket payment for drugs pushes them into poverty. For the poor, their fate is already decided. Apart from placing subsidy on diabetes medication, the government should wholly include diabetes care into insurance packages. To ensure that poor diabetics benefit from the insurance – since most poor people are not under any insurance scheme – government should prioritise enrolling them into the nation’s health insurance scheme for the purpose of halting out- of- pocket payment for medication.
Stakeholders should also consider integrating diabetes care into primary health as this will not only eliminate the accessibility issue but will ensure that timely care is provided. Government, at all levels, should take a clue from the International Federation of Diabetes and WHO that have designated diabetes as a public health emergency. By that action, it will get the deserved funding and quicker decision in addressing the constraints and restraints in managing it in the country. Also, the citizens have a role to play in addressing the disease.
On preventive measures, experts have said lifestyle is the key determinant whether one will have diabetes or not. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, limiting sugar intakes, avoiding processed foods are some of the recommended options to reduce the risks associated with the disease. Together, the government, health experts, and the citizens must play their roles for Nigeria to reduce the high prevalence of this public health concern that claims the lives of thousands of our people every day.