By Mercy Matonga:
Diabetes cases in the country are on the rise due to poor health habits, a 2023- 30 Ministry of Health Strategic Plan has shown.
The report also says few people are getting screened for the condition.
According to the report, a substantial number of Malawians are gaining weight, exposing them to the risk of the disease.
The report further says Malawi has a persistently high proportion of patients with low body mass index.
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“The contribution of diabetes has grown from 1.4 percent in 2010 to 2.21 percent in 2019. An increase in overweight and obesity rates is a growing concern, as they are risk factors for type 2 diabetes,” the report reads.
According to the report, screening and care provision remain low, with only four percent of surveyed people reporting being screened and only 1.4 percent being found with elevated glucose at the time of starting treatment.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe told The Daily Times that the development calls for urgent action on the matter.
He added that if the situation is left uncontrolled, it would increase the disease burden and result into many people needlessly losing lives.
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“Of course, obesity is just one of the several contributing factors to diabetes in Malawi. Others include lack of physical activity, (untreated) HIV and Aids, damage or removal of the pancreas, aging (above 45 years), sedentary lifestyles and family history (having a close relative with diabetes,” Chikumbe said.
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Reacting to the report, Malawi Health Equity Network Executive Director George Jobe said, while the report indicates that people who are obese are more prone to suffer from diabetes than others, it is crucial to emphasise that the disease equally attacks those who are not obese.
“When we look at obesity, one of the factors contributing to the condition is alcohol intake and our staple food, which is full of carbohydrates, which can also be converted into sugar.
“As such, we need to diversify, in terms of food, and the ministry should intensify the campaign on healthy living,” Jobe said.
According to The Lancet global report on diabetes, the disease remains a substantial public health issue.
Type 2 diabetes, which makes up the bulk of diabetes cases, is largely preventable and, in some cases, potentially reversible if identified and managed early in the disease course.
“However, all evidence indicates that diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, primarily due to a rise in obesity caused by multiple factors,” the report reads.
In 2021, there were 529 million (95 percent UI 500–564) people of all ages living with diabetes worldwide, yielding a global age-standardised prevalence, according to The Lancet report.
Diabetes, which commonly affects blood vessels in the heart and brain, causes problems with the eyes, kidneys, feet and body nerves.
