Cost of diabetes care in Africa could triple by 2030

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The costs and complications of diabetes could overwhelm healthcare systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and reach US$59.3 billion by 2030 if rates double, according to the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Commission.

The costs and complications of diabetes could overwhelm healthcare systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and reach US$59.3 billion by 2030 if rates double, according to the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Commission.

Launched in London this month (5 July), the commission involved over 70 international experts and reveals key messages for promoting a coordinated response to diabetes to reach UN and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). 

“NCDs and cardiovascular disease haven’t been a priority because the development agenda focus has been on infectious disease and child health. However, in the background NCDs have shown themselves to be important contributors to morbidity and mortality,” says study co-author Justine Davies, a professor of global health at the King’s College London, United Kingdom.

 “What we are looking at is the current state of knowledge in the region and what we have to do to achieve the new SDGs,” she adds.

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