Over 40,000 Nigerians died from diabetes in 2017

Nigeria lost over 40,000 people to diabetes in 2017 says a publication of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) which also said the country has Africa’s worst diabetes prevalence rate of about 16million cases.

According to IDF report 2017, Nigeria with a population of about180 million recorded 40, 329 diabetes related deaths, had 846.3 adults undiagnosed and 1.7million adults between the ages of 29-70 years are related to the disease, which amounts to 2.4 per cent of the population, say the report.

Ojo Sikiru a  medical practitioner based in Lagos said millions of Nigerians are suffering from diabetes regardless the age and that regular check-up is very important as a step to preventing diabetes.

“The increase of this disease is also associated with lifestyle changes; overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyles, dietary changes, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking”

  “If the disease is not well controlled, it may cause blindness, kidney failure and lead to limb amputation, in addition to other long-term consequences” he said.

Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by the body’s inability to produce required amounts of insulin the hormone that regulates blood sugar or to efficiently use the insulin it produces, according to the World Health Organisation.

They are called type 1 and type 2 diabetes respectively. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, of dialysis, and of traumatic amputation. Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) which include diabetes are responsible for 69% of all deaths worldwide.

The report also shows that despite the gravity of the situation, less than 2% of all global health funding is dedicated to this major public health challenge.

Anthonia Obokoh