Eight in 10 diabetic know status late as diphtheria spreads
15 November 2023 |
3:43 am
Eight in 10 people living with diabetes (80 per cent) in Nigeria only know, after developing complications associated with the condition. Moreover, almost all (94 per cent) of those surveyed in the country have experienced one or more complications...
Eight in 10 people living with diabetes (80 per cent) in Nigeria only know, after developing complications associated with the condition. Moreover, almost all (94 per cent) of those surveyed in the country have experienced one or more complications during the course of their ailment.
The findings come from a global research recently carried out by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) ahead of the World Diabetes Day (WDD), yesterday.
The survey was conducted among people living with the sickness across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America to understand the level of awareness and impact of related complications.
According to the study, more than half (55 per cent) of respondents in Nigeria say they worry most days about developing problems.The risk of complications could be significantly reduced through early detection, timely treatment and informed self-care.
When asked about preventing the complications, four out of five respondents (82 per cent) in the country believe they could have done more; more than half (57 per cent) think their healthcare providers could have done better.
Commenting on the observations, Osarenkhoe Ethel Chima-Nwogwugwu, who lives with Type 2 Diabetes, said: “It is shocking to see so many people in Nigeria only find out about their condition after experiencing a complication. To change this, more needs to be done to improve diabetes awareness and provide education to support the early detection and management of complications. What we have learned offers a stark reminder that diabetes often goes undetected until one or more complications are present.”
According to IDF, there are several risk factors that increase the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. These include family history, weight, age, ethnicity, inactivity and diabetes during pregnancy, some of which can be reduced through healthy eating habits and physical activity.
Besides, Roche Diabetes Care and health experts have decried the high prevalence in developing nations. The World Health Organisation (WHO) noted that the incidence in Nigeria was 4.3 per cent.
Also, Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, stressed the need for increased education and access to diagnostic tools and medicines. The IDF Atlas (10th edition) estimated that excluding the mortality risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 6.7 million adults between the age of 20 and 79 years died of diabetes or its complications in 2021.
Product Manager at Roche Diabetes Care, Oluwatosin Akinsulire, said: “Type 2 diabetes is progressive, and in the absence of early diagnosis and proper management, its course can impact your health and overall well-being.”
In another development, Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) has raised the alarm that the most populous black nation facing an unprecedented diphtheria outbreak, describing the situation as a crisis that demands urgent attention.
It noted that with approximately 17,000 suspected cases and nearly 600 deaths, the situation needed widespread vaccination campaigns across affected states.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, MSF observed that in Kano alone, where nearly 12,000 suspected cases have been reported alongside about 70 per cent admitted patients, it added that they were either not fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all.
According to MSF to combat the outbreak, a vaccination campaign had been launched through a joint effort by the authorities, WHO and UNICEF in three phases across 14 states: Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Yobe, Lagos, Nasarawa, Osun, Plateau and Zamfara.
The foreign body pointed out that the outbreak is not confined to Kano, adding that it had spread to neighbouring Maiduguri, hence the establishment of a 20-bed diphtheria treatment clinic at the paediatric hospital in Gwange that had treated 448 patients.
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