The country’s health sector is currently in dire situation following the mass exodus of key medical personnel leaving their positions enmasse in search of better job opportunities abroad.
New Telegraph has learnt authoritatively that there are only about 2,000 Diabetes Consultants/Doctors in Nigeria at present to attend to diabetes patients nationwide amid as a result of the Japa syndrome rocking the country’s healthcare sector.
Dr Ejiofor Ugwu, an endocrinologist/consultant physician and National President, Diabetic Association of Nigeria (DBN), who disclosed this during an interview, said that the country’s healthcare industry is sitting on a keg of gun powder given the alarming rate of diabetes in the country.
Ugwu, who currently works at Endocrinology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, said:
“Virtually all medical doctors treating diabetes has left Nigeria for abroad in search of better medical job conditions; we only have about 2,000 diabetes consultants in Nigeria’s health sector to attend to all diabetes patients in the country.”
According to him, the Federal Government needs to show more commitment than before to contain the alarming rate of diabetes spreading in Nigeria at the moment.
The Diabetic Association of Nigeria president stated: “You are on a healthy diet, especially if you are avoiding the high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) like soft drink or similar products.
So the National Action Against Sugar Reduction Coalition, which was established in 2021 successfully got the Federal Government to impose a N10 tax on sugar sweetened beverages in Nigeria, which discouraged people from consuming them. “That deduction started in June 2022 and by June last year, 2024, it was stopped.
“On our own, I mean, the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, we are going to continue with what we are doing. One of them is creating awareness about danger of diabetes, because ignorance is pervasive in our country.
There are so many religious and cultural barriers.” Speaking on the manufacturing of Insulin injection, Ugwu explained: “Now, we only have three companies in the world producing Insulin.”
Ugwu, who is a Senior Lecturer at the College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, pointed out that government should double their efforts in the move to curb diabetes by declaring tax waivers on all diabetes drugs and at the same time subsidise medications for diabetes patients in the country, adding:
“The Federal Government should consider tax waivers on all diabetes medication/ drugs, and consumables.
“We are asking the Federal Government to please, consider it, and also, urgently subsidise medications for diabetes patients.
“Then, in the medium to long term, the Federal Government needs to conduct a census or a well-conducted national survey on diabetes so that we can have adequate data that will guide us in policy formulation.”
He pointed out that the Diabetes Association of Nigeria submitted a policy to the Ministry of Health on Diabetes and on how to reduce further spread of the scourge.
According to him, diabetes is responsible for kidney failure, cancer, heart diseases, blindness and more.
A recent report showed that Nigeria is facing a concerning rise in obesity rates among children, with heart experts pointing to SSB as a significant contributor.
Also, a report by the Ministry of Health highlighted that nearly 30 per cent of children aged five to 12 consume SSB daily, leading to alarming rates of obesity and related health issues.
