Like Oluwole, many have lost their lives to diabetes and the cases keep increasing in this era of COVID-19. An estimated 24 million people are living with diabetes in Africa in 2021 according to the International Diabetes Federation and the continent is expected to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally, with the number of Africans suffering from the disease predicted to rise to 55 million by 2045, an increase of 134 per cent compared with 2021.
According to Isiavwe, “Many Nigerians can no longer afford their medications and routines to effectively control their condition. Children living with diabetes most of whom must be on regular insulin injections are also badly affected by the situation as many parents either reduce doses or stop administering injections as the cost of insulin, a vital component of diabetes management has risen by over 40 per cent in the last six months.
“Nigeria must avoid this looming disaster and act fast to assist people currently living with the disease, says Isiavwe, adding that, a poorly controlled diabetes population epidemic equals diabetes complications epidemic,” she said. “To this end, I call on the government to, as a matter of urgency introduce policy and measures to drastically reduce the cost of anti-diabetes drugs and devices through zero import tariff and encouragement of their local production; provide free or subsidised insulin for children and the elderly and implement some of the already existing policies and guidelines for the management of diabetes in Nigeria,” she added.
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