It is time we got serious about tackling one of Kenya’s silent killers, diabetes. Diabetes remains one of the leading non-communicable diseases (NCD), accounting for 40 per cent of deaths in Kenya annually.
A 2016 report jointly published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and The Lancet indicated that one in every 17 Kenyans has diabetes. The data also indicates that between 650,000 to 1.5 million Kenyans are suffering from undiagnosed diabetes.
The disease is largely attributed to poor lifestyle, including poor nutritional habits and lack of exercise. Diabetes of all types can lead to complications in many parts of the body and increases the overall risk of dying prematurely. It is estimated that diabetes is the primary cause of blindness in adults aged 20 to 74.
Although the causes for Type 1 diabetes remain largely unknown, a vast majority of people suffering from diabetes globally have Type II diabetes. Diabetes is also implicated in renal failure leading to dependency on dialysis and kidney transplantation in severe cases. Now more than ever, diabetes management requires a multi-disciplinary approach that will ensure patients get holistic medical care, patient education, aggressive prevention and management of complications.
The Ministry of Health continues to work with stakeholders to significantly reduce the cost of diabetes drugs as well as ensure that public health facilities are well stocked. Since 2015 the ministry through innovative partnerships with the county governments and various organisations has supported public health institutions in providing daily comprehensive diabetes clinics, through staff training, and the provision of medical equipment.
Due to the alarming increase in the rate of diabetes diagnosis, the Ministry of Health has also prioritised prevention and control. The other major challenge in the fight against diabetes is lack of structured diabetes clinics, trained human resource, lack of reliable data for planning and resource mobilisation and low awareness among policy makers on the need to make diabetes care a priority at all levels. MP Shah Hospital’s recent launch of a comprehensive Diabetes Care Centre is a step towards tackling diabetes through a structured and comprehensive approach.
MP Shah has developed a special model designed to tackle diabetes on a range of fronts, from preventative programmes and expert education through to evidence-based clinical treatment. To promote awareness about diabetes prevention, the hospital in partnership with Lions Club International has incorporated twice a month diabetic health screenings to be rolled out across the country.
A lot still remains to be done and the journey to change how we tackle diabetes is long. It is therefore important that all stakeholders prioritise diabetes care services in all public and private hospitals. This includes strengthening existing clinics and mobilising more Kenyans to go for screening. If implemented correctly, Kenya can achieve the 2030 agenda on sustainable development by WHO member states of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases, diabetes included.
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