WHO Calls for Early Diabetes Detection, Affordable Treatment Across Africa
By Ali Mohammed Zanna, Maiduguri
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, has called on African governments, healthcare workers and communities to strengthen diabetes awareness, promote early diagnosis and expand access to affordable treatment.
Janabi made the call in a message marking the 2026 World Diabetes Day, observed on November 14, under the theme, “Early Action on Diabetes.”
He warned that diabetes was increasingly affecting millions of people across Africa, with many unaware of their health condition until serious complications emerged.
According to him, early detection and timely treatment remain critical to preventing complications, reducing suffering and saving lives.
Citing figures from the International Diabetes Federation, the WHO Regional Director disclosed that an estimated 24.6 million adults aged between 20 and 79 were living with diabetes in the African Region in 2024.
He said the figure was projected to rise to 59.5 million by 2050, while nearly three out of every four adults living with the condition remained undiagnosed, representing the highest proportion globally.
Janabi identified kidney failure, blindness, cardiovascular diseases and lower-limb amputations as some of the serious complications associated with late diagnosis and inadequate treatment.
He urged members of the public to pay attention to warning signs such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, persistent tiredness and blurred vision.
He advised people experiencing such symptoms to seek medical attention and undergo testing promptly, while encouraging those at higher risk to undertake regular screening even when they show no obvious symptoms.
The WHO Regional Director also called on communities to promote accurate information about diabetes, discourage stigma and support people living with the condition.
He further urged healthcare professionals to improve early identification, provide timely testing and ensure compassionate, patient-centred treatment.
Janabi noted that WHO was supporting African countries to strengthen diabetes services through initiatives including the WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (WHO PEN), HEARTS, HEARTS-D and PEN-Plus.
He commended Rwanda for achieving nationwide district-level coverage of PEN-Plus, while acknowledging that many African countries continued to face challenges involving trained healthcare personnel, diagnostic facilities, essential medicines and continuous treatment.
He called on governments to prioritise diabetes prevention and management within primary healthcare systems and universal health coverage through sustained investment in public awareness, affordable insulin, essential medicines, diagnostic services and healthcare workforce development.
Janabi also appealed to development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector to support government-led efforts, particularly in underserved communities.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to helping African countries accelerate progress towards the 2030 targets of the Global Diabetes Compact.
The WHO Regional Director urged individuals to recognise diabetes symptoms, seek medical attention early and encourage others to do the same.
He stressed that collective action could help build an Africa where diabetes is detected early and quality treatment is accessible to everyone, preventing avoidable deaths and disabilities.
