New insights on diabetes mellitus and obesity in Africa-Part 2: prevention, screening and economic burden

Abstract

Evidence has been accumulating on the importance of the rising burden of diabetes mellitus on the African continent at an increasingly higher pace. In the first paper of this series of two companion papers, recent evidence on the prevalence, pathogenesis and comorbidities of obesity and diabetes mellitus in Africa were summarised. In this second paper, we focus on recent developments pertaining to the prevention, screening and the economic burden of diabetes and obesity on the continent. There are indications that awareness on diabetes and chronic diseases at large has increased in Africa in recent times. However, the care for diabetes largely remains suboptimal in most countries, which are not adequately prepared to face the prevention and control of diabetes, as the costs of caring for the condition pose a tremendous challenge to most local economies. Moreover, translation strategies to prevent and control diabetes and obesity, on the continent, are still to be evaluated.

Prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism and potential predictors: a rapid appraisal among ≥45 years old residents of southern Tajikistan 葡萄糖代谢受损的患病率以及潜在的预测因子：一项针对塔吉克斯坦南部年龄 ≥45岁居民的快速评估

“…Typically, a considerable fraction of the affected persons are unaware of their status and remain undiagnosed and untreated, or do not meet treatment targets . Societal costs of type 2 diabetes could be drastically reduced by providing early diagnosis and prevention of disease complications . The disease may also result in a double burden of households because of an increased risk of job loss and the bill of care‐related expenses, as illustrated by studies conducted in Spain and Algeria .…”

Future challenges for pediatric diabetes management in developing countries: lessons from Africa

“…The NCD Country Profile 2011 provides some indicators of the countries' readiness to face the global crisis of NCDs including diabetes mellitus [41,50]. According to this report, countries' capacity to address diabetes and NCDs varies substantially across Africa.…”

Can the Success of HIV Scale-Up Advance the Global Chronic NCD Agenda?

“…Although there is growing evidence of the cost-effectiveness of NCD prevention, screening, and management [27], NCDs are often perceived as costly to address, less important than infectious diseases, and as a problem for future generations rather than for immediate action [28]. These misconceptions may be due to the chronicity of NCDs, the diversity of prevention, care and treatment interventions, and the fact that many disparate conditions are grouped under one label [29].…”