A local medical doctor has sounded alarm over the rising toll of diabetes in Africa warning that most people living with the disease are unaware of their condition until it is too late.
“Seventy-three percent of people who are diabetic in Africa are not aware that they have this silent killer. Every day, people are dying from this condition,” Dr Misheck Ruwende said in video shared on X
Dr Ruwende described diabetes as one of the continent’s fastest-growing health threats calling for tighter management of blood sugar levels through medication, exercise and diet.
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He explained that blood sugar should be kept within normal ranges of four to nine millimoles per litre.
“Before we eat, it will be close to four. After eating, it will be close to nine. The high number of deaths we are seeing in Africa and in Zimbabwe is because our sugar is not well controlled,” he said.
Dr Ruwende said most patients fall outside this safe range leading to early complications and premature deaths.
“Because of that, they die early. They develop complications early and those complications are many from head to toe,” he warned.
The doctor emphasised three pillars in managing diabetes that is medication, exercise and diet.
On treatment, he said patients with Type 1 diabetes usually diagnosed before the age of 30 must use insulin for survival.
“The pancreas stops producing insulin, so these patients inject themselves. Today, we have modern insulin pens that are far more effective than the old bottles and syringes,” he said.
But he noted common mistakes among patients, including injecting before meals.
“The drill is simple: check your sugar, inject yourself, then eat. That way, the food raises the sugar and the insulin brings it down, keeping you in balance,” he explained.
Storage was another issue. “Insulin does not like heat. It is insulin’s enemy,” he said advising patients to use fridges or in rural areas, traditional clay pots filled with damp sand to keep medication cool.
For those with Type 2 diabetes who mostly take pills, Dr Ruwende stressed consistency.
“If you are taking your medication once a day, it means the same time every day. If you take it at 8pm today and 6pm tomorrow, you risk overdosing or underdosing. Consistency is key,” he said.
The doctor lamented that many patients resist moving from pills to injections, even when necessary.
“In Africa, there is reluctance both from doctors and patients to start insulin. People think if you are put on insulin, you are dying. There is nothing like that,” he said.
He added “In developed countries, patients are put on insulin very early, and it helps prevent complications. Here, resistance means we lose people unnecessarily.”
Dr Ruwende said the ultimate goal was to keep patients alive and healthy by maintaining safe sugar levels.
“We want to avoid complications, we want to avoid losing patients,” he said.
He promised to continue public education campaigns, including future sessions focused on diet and the complications of diabetes.
“Complications are what kill our patients. Let’s adhere to the medication.” he added.