The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for increased awareness, early diagnosis and access to affordable treatment to reduce the growing burden of diabetes across Africa.
Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, made the call in a statement in his message ahead of 2026 World Diabetes Day, marked on Nov. 14.
Janabi said diabetes was increasingly affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across Africa, with many unaware they had the condition until serious complications developed.
He said early diagnosis and timely treatment were essential to prevent complications, reduce suffering and save lives and urged governments and communities to prioritise diabetes care.
Janabi said that the 2026 World Diabetes Day with the theme, “Early Action on Diabetes,” highlights the importance of recognising symptoms and seeking medical attention promptly.
He said that according to the International Diabetes Federation, an estimated 24.6 million adults aged 20 to 79 years were living with diabetes in Africa in 2024.
Janabi said the number was projected to rise to 59.5 million by 2050, underscoring the urgent need for stronger prevention, screening and treatment interventions.
He expressed concern that nearly three out of every four adults living with diabetes in the African Region remained undiagnosed, representing the highest proportion globally.
He warned that undiagnosed diabetes increased the risk of serious complications, including kidney failure, blindness, cardiovascular diseases and lower-limb amputations.
The WHO regional director urged members of the public to recognise common diabetes symptoms, including increased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, persistent tiredness and blurred vision.
He advised people experiencing such symptoms to seek medical testing and professional advice promptly, while encouraging them to sensitise family members and friends.
Janabi also urged people at increased risk of diabetes to undergo regular screening, noting that the condition could develop without obvious symptoms.
He called on communities to intensify awareness campaigns, share accurate information and challenge stigma and discrimination against people living with diabetes.
He encouraged people with diabetes to share their experiences, support one another and motivate others to seek medical attention early.
The WHO official urged healthcare workers to improve early recognition of symptoms, provide timely testing and deliver compassionate, patient-centred care.
He said that every patient interaction presented an opportunity to promote prevention, improve diabetes management and prevent complications through appropriate medical interventions.
Janabi said that WHO was supporting African countries to strengthen diabetes services through primary healthcare and first-level referral facilities using established technical programmes.
He listed the WHO Package of Essential Non-communicable Diseases (WHO PEN), HEARTS technical package for cardiovascular disease and HEARTS-D package for diagnosing and managing Type 2 diabetes.
“Others include PEN-Plus, a regional strategy designed to address severe non-communicable diseases at first-level referral health facilities,” Janabi said.
He commended Rwanda for achieving nationwide district-level coverage of PEN-Plus, describing it as an important step towards expanding access to essential non-communicable disease services.
However, Janabi noted that significant gaps remained in access to trained healthcare workers, diagnostic services, essential medicines and continuous diabetes care across the region.
He urged African governments to prioritise diabetes prevention, early diagnosis and continuous treatment within primary healthcare systems and universal health coverage programmes.
He said such efforts required sustained investment in public awareness, affordable insulin, essential medicines, diagnostic equipment, skilled health workers and reliable healthcare systems.
Janabi also called on development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector to support country-led interventions, particularly in underserved communities.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting member states to accelerate progress towards achieving the 2030 targets of the Framework for the Implementation of the Global Diabetes Compact in the African Region.
Janabi said stronger collaboration among governments, healthcare professionals, communities and development partners was necessary to improve diabetes prevention, diagnosis and treatment outcomes.
He urged individuals to know the warning signs, seek testing and medical care early, and encourage others to take similar steps.
He said collective action could help build an Africa where diabetes was detected early and quality treatment was accessible to everyone.
Janabi stressed that timely diagnosis and treatment could prevent avoidable complications, including blindness, limb loss and deaths associated with diabetes.(NAN)
