The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded a warning over the rapid surge of diabetes across Africa.
In a message to commemorate the 2025 World Diabetes Day, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, said the continent was witnessing an “unprecedented rise” in diabetes cases driven by changing lifestyles, poor diets, and limited access to preventive and primary health services.
He said: “The scale and speed of this trend demand urgent and sustained action. Unless reversed, this trajectory will overwhelm health systems, strain economies, and erode hard-won development gains.”
This year’s global theme; “Diabetes Across Life Stages,” underscores that the disease affects people of all age; from children and adolescents to adults and the elderly, and calls for care strategies tailored to each stage of life.
According to WHO estimates, more than 24 million adults aged 20 to 79 in Africa are currently living with diabetes, a figure expected to more than double to 60 million by 2050.
Nearly half of those affected remain undiagnosed, facing heightened risks of complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and nerve damage.
