By Gabriel Olawale

The growing number of people living with diabetes mellitus in Nigeria is worrisome and an explosion in the number of diabetic patients may be imminent if urgent measures are not taken to address the trend.

The International Diabetes Federation estimates that by 2040, the global prevalence of diabetes is likely to affect 10 percent of humanity.

Experts and stakeholders say diabetes is getting more common worldwide with the number of affected people rising yearly and projections showing that Africa and Nigeria in particular, is likely to experience the highest increase in the near future.

A recent study showed that pooled prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the six geopolitical zones were 3.0 per cent in the northwest, 5.9 per cent in the northeast, 3.8 per cent in the north-central zone, 5.5 per cent in the southwest, 4.6 per cent in the south-east, and 9.8 per cent in the south-south zone.

Findings by Sunday Vanguard reveal diabetes screening programs are few across the States and have limited impact. The steady increase of diabetic foot, a major complication of diabetes mellitus, is equally worrisome.

Diabetes is a medical condition characterized by high blood sugar because of the body’s inability to make use of the sugar gotten from food eaten.

Speaking in Lagos during the commemoration of World Diabetes Day organized by Mega Lifesciences Nigeria Limited, Professor of Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade said that the global burden of diabetes is currently about 550 million and half of that figure is unaware of their status.

“In Nigeria, studies have shown that not less than 7 million people are suffering from diabetes that is the size of some states in Nigeria. The most concerning aspect of it is that the number is steadily increasing. Another revelation from the study is that one in every 10 adults in the urban areas of Nigeria has diabetes and of those that have, too do not know they have diabetes because it’s a silent condition that kills.”

“If you don’t know that you have a medical condition, you cannot treat it. If you don’t treat it, it means the condition remains a death sentence. The majority of people present late, some collapse and die, some develop stroke, heart attack among others.”

Fasanmade regretted that despite the discovery of insulin 100 years ago, access to treatment still remains a big challenge and that is why we need more awareness like what Mega Life Sciences is doing.

“The fact that insulin, which is the first drug to treat diabetes, is over 100 years old with different oral medications now available and many people still do not have access to diabetes care. Majority of the people with the ailment that want adequate treatment cannot afford it because the person may require N15, 000 to N30,000 on a monthly basis to treat the condition for the rest of his or her life.”

“Many of the strips for testing blood sugar are between N5,000 to N7,000 for a box and most of the boxes are either 25 to 50 strips. A typical person that has diabetes should check blood sugar once or twice a day that shows how difficult diabetes care can be.

“In terms of doctor ratio to the patient, if you add the total number of all endocrinology and family medicine doctors, they are not up to 300 compared to 7 million people with diabetes. That is why you hear people complaining about hours they spend at the hospital. It is very difficult to cope.

He admonished people to check their blood sugar level regularly and said a lot of people don’t show symptoms, “when people show symptoms, it is already getting late and what some of these symptoms are? They pass plenty of urine, poor vision, poor erection, poor stamina, and poor obstetric history.

Fasanmade also appealed to the government to take away duty on diabetes drugs and strips, “I have seen a patient that wept and questioned why she didn’t have HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis because people with those diseases get free treatment and better access to care. But diabetes that affects a large number of people does not have such access.”

Corroborating his views, Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Dr. Chinasa Amadi, lamented that despite the prevalence of diabetes some people are still plagued with myths such as ‘God forbid, it is not my portion’ ‘I can’t have it, nobody in my family has diabetes’.

“This misconception most of the time affects the way we respond to this condition. A recent study shows that one in 10 children born after the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes. The global burden of health study shows that between the years 2023 and 2025 there will be a 103 per cent rise in diabetes cases in Africa, the prediction is that it may not get better, which is why it is important we take action.

According to the United Nations, every five seconds there is always a new diagnosis of diabetes, every 10 seconds someone dies of diabetes, every 30 seconds a limb is lost because of diabetes, so we have to start today to make a difference.

 “I hear people saying diabetes is in my family, I am bound to have it. The genetic predisposition is about 10 to 30 per cent while lifestyles such as obesity, unhealthy diet, inactivity and smoking among others constitute 70 per cent.

“Some people will say they don’t take sugar so they can’t have it. Meanwhile, they are having a lot of saturated and transfat. Study shows that people that consume processed meat like sausage, kilishi five times a week have an increased chance of developing diabetes. If you take eggs up to five times a week you are at risk and if you are diabetic, it can worsen your condition.”

Amadi said that the good news was that the National Institute of Health Study shows that those who eat more plant-based meals like vegetables, fruits actually have more diabetic control.

“Another thing is that Nigerians are very busy people but not active people. When you have diabetes, the recommendation is actually 300 minutes a week of physical activities. It’s like 50 minutes six times a week.

She blamed the diabetes burden in Nigeria on urbanization, obesity, unhealthy diet, inactivity, and smoking among others. “People can take the message of a healthy lifestyle to social media platforms where people spend more time”.

“Messages like, have you drank water today? Have you taken your fruit and vegetables today? Even online challenges like a water drinking challenge encouraging daily intake of 3 liters of water followed with a post. Others like meatless Monday, vegetable Tuesday, fruit Wednesday, 10-minute staircase walk on Thursday, 10,000 steps with family on Saturday and sleep- in Sundays.

“It’s important to note that sleep is very important in diabetes care because studies show that sleep deprivation worsens insulin resistance and increases the risk for type two diabetes.

On his part, Regional Director (West Africa), Mega Life Sciences, Mr. Maneesh Mehra, said that they are committed to educating Nigerians who are at risk or have already been diagnosed with diabetes for prevention and better management.

“Diabetes treatment outcomes are better with education and proper care. We are glad to be championing the world diabetes day celebrations across all regions in the country. Mega Lifesciences as a company is consistently involved in helping millions of people across the globe have access to safe, effective, world-class medicines.

READ ALSO: DIABETES: Treatment costs soar as Nigeria’s silent epidemic rages

“With our initiative “Good Health By yourself” (GHBY) we empower communities to take charge of their health. Beyond pills and cure, we seek to care. Our goal is to make people stay healthy for as long as they live.”

Mega Wecare is a pharmaceutical company with a global presence in over 30 countries having its headquarters in Thailand. Mega Wecare in Nigeria is a strong market leader in the world of premium generic medicines hence remains a suitable quality alternative to originator brands.

In her own contribution, Diabetes Care Product Manager, Mega Lifesciences, Ibukun Adetuyi said that they have a campaign which features educational materials across multiple channels, training sessions for healthcare professionals on new trends in diabetes treatment and partnerships with complementary organizations.

“We have also in previous years embarked on outreaches and provided free neuropathy and blood sugar screenings across pharmacies, hospitals and religious organizations.

 This year, we want to see more people live better and healthier, hence the transition to digital media, where we have started some education on diabetes with the aim to reach people with credible information that is relatable because there are a lot of misconceptions.

In his closing remark, Mr. Amit Raghuvanshy, Business Head, Mega Lifesciences expressed the company’s commitment to improving access to diabetes care especially in the areas of education and awareness. “In the next couple of days, we will roll out free screening and free aerobics in multiple centers across Nigeria.”

Vanguard News Nigeria