Diabetes – a global and South African emergency

The diabetes pandemic will explode to almost 600 million within 20 years. Diabetes is one of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Currently, about 382 million people live with diabetes worldwide; a further 316 million with impaired glucose tolerance are at high risk from the disease and, by 2035, it is estimated that without proper action to prevent diabetes, 592 million people will be living with the chronic disease.

Each year over five million people die from complications of the illness. Countries in Africa – specifically South Africa – have joined the ranks of nations with a high and rapidly growing number of diabetes cases.

In Africa, 76 per cent of deaths due to diabetes were in people under the age of 60; South Africa is currently number two with 2.6 million after Nigeria which has the highest number in Africa – 3.9 million diagnosed diabetics.

It is estimated that over 81 per cent of all diabetics is undiagnosed in Africa, which means that the number of people in Africa living with diabetes is

significantly under-reported.

Lilly South Africa has taken on the challenge to educate as many people about diabetes in the build-up to World Diabetes Day on 14 November

2014.

Lilly will be partnering with corporates throughout the country to engage employees through interactive sessions, run by professional Lilly medical educators, covering issues such as what diabetes is, how diabetes works, how to prevent diabetes through lifestyle and dietary awareness, as well as why the management of diabetes is so important.

Details: Lilly, www.lillydiabetes.com;