Africa Faces Diabetes Crisis, Study Warns

A study published in The Lancet in March 2025 indicates that by 2045, approximately 12% of sub-Saharan Africans could be living with diabetes, nearly double previous estimates, VOA reported.

Researchers tracked over 10,000 participants in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Burkina Faso over seven years, identifying poor eating habits, obesity, lack of healthcare access, and physical inactivity as key contributors to the rising diabetes rates.

The International Diabetes Federation estimated that in 2021, 24 million adults in sub-Saharan Africa had diabetes, with projections suggesting over 50 million could be affected by 2045. Dr. Raylton Chikwati emphasized that living in peri-urban areas exacerbates health risks due to increased processed food consumption and limited healthcare access.

Experts urge Africans to monitor their blood-sugar levels and seek treatment promptly to manage diabetes effectively.