Pretoria - South African First Lady Bongi Ngema-Zuma says as the country pursues its fight against non-communicable diseases, South Africans should put diabetes high on the list of priorities.
She was speaking on Thursday at the Inaugural Essence Festival Durban: Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness Seminar held at the Chief Albert Luthuli Convention Centre. Ngema-Zuma referred to the International Diabetes Federation’s Diabetes Atlas Seventh Edition of 2015.
The atlas shows that diabetes is a huge and growing condition, with 415 million adults living with diabetes in 2015. The number is expected to increase to around 642 million or one in 10 adults by 2040.
It also shows that one in two adults with diabetes is undiagnosed, and many people live with type 2 diabetes for a long time without being aware of their condition. By the time of diagnosis, diabetes complications may already be present.
Up to 70% of type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or delayed by adopting healthier lifestyles, equivalent to approximately 160 million cases by 2040.
With increasing levels of poor nutrition and physical inactivity among children in many countries, type 2 diabetes in childhood has the potential to become a global public health issue leading to serious health outcomes. Twelve percent of total global expenditure on health is currently spent on adults with diabetes.
The number of people with diabetes in low- and middle-income countries will continue to grow, posing a threat to sustainable development.
“… Diabetes exacerbates TB and HIV and Aids. Our collective failure to decisively deal with the diabetes pandemic now by having massive programmes in the same way we have taken up HIV and Aids, might prove our great undoing in many respects.
“Even the wars we seem to be winning, as the HIV and Aids scenario now promises us, might prove short-lived. Should that happen, I shudder to even imagine what world we would have for our future generations,” said Ngema-Zuma.
She said the fight against diabetes and associated diseases is one “we have the power to win, both individually and collectively”.
“But we have to take the first step to elevate it to the national, continental and global psyche – educating ourselves foremost and those around us on what needs to be done.”
She encouraged self-awareness about the state of individual health and taking control of one’s health.
“This self-awareness is better achieved by going through a voluntary screening and testing of diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure and HIV and Aids.”
She said in many countries, diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and lower-limb amputation.
“Of the 415 million adults worldwide living with diabetes in 2015, over one third will develop some form of diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that can lead to vision impairment and blindness. More than 93 million adults, or one in three, currently living with diabetes have diabetic retinopathy.”
Ngema-Zuma said the management of diabetes and its complications begins in primary healthcare and this should include screening for diabetic retinopathy. She encouraged regular exercise and healthy eating.
“I count on all of you in business, government, civil society and the NGO sectors to join us as we embark on this ambitious journey to make a difference.
“None of us can succeed on anything of lasting, multi-generational value without the other playing a part. We all need each other to work constructively and collectively in applying our positive energies toward building a prosperous South Africa – and such a country will need to be a healthy one.”
South Africa has the highest overweight and obesity rate in Sub-Saharan Africa, with more women and men being classified as overweight and obese. - SAnews.gov.za
