Namibia joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Diabetes Day on 14 November under the theme “Access to diabetes care” which highlight the importance of prevention and response efforts.

In 2021, globally over 537 million adults (20-79 years) were living with diabetes, which is 1 in 10 people having diabetes.  Diabetes was responsible for 6.7 million deaths in the same year, translating to 1 diabetes death in every 5 seconds.  In Africa, 1 in 22 adults (24 million) adults are living with diabetes and this is predicted to double to 55 million by 2045. Last year, diabetes was responsible for 416,000 deaths in Africa and is forecasted to become one of the leading causes of death in Africa by 2030.

According to the Namibia Demographic Health Survey (2013), six percent of women and 7 percent of men are diabetic. An additional 7 percent of women and 6 percent of men are prediabetic. Diabetes was responsible for 4% of deaths in Namibia in 2016. 

Honorable Dr Esther Muinjangue, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services said that in Namibia a person living in urban areas is twice likely to suffer from diabetes compared to someone living in rural areas. She further said that Diabetes is ‘the is a leading cause of progressive morbidity and early mortality worldwide’.   She called upon the government and partners to continue to have dialogues on how best to address diabetes care and education to ensure better health care for everyone.

The WHO Representative to Namibia, Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses referred to the known modifiable risk factors of diabetes such as overweight and obesity, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, smoking and alcohol abuse. He stated that unfortunately, these modifiable risk factors are on the rise in Namibia where: 20% are smokers, 36% have raised blood pressure, 9.5% are obese, 31.8 % are reported physically inactive and consume 10,8 liters of pure alcohol per person per year.  He recognized the country’s efforts to address these risk factors through the Multi-Sectoral Strategy for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  He acknowledged the limited resources in which this Strategy is being implemented and therefore the limitations that affects effective and efficient promotion, preventive, and curative services for NCDs including diabetes. 

Dr Sagoe-Moses warned that diabetes, if left unchecked, and without management and lifestyle changes, can lead to several debilitating complications including heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, visual impairment, blindness, and nerve damage. He further said that people with diabetes are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms and deaths.

‘Today, as we mark World Diabetes Day, I want to take this opportunity to appeal to the government of Namibia to prioritize investment in essential products, such as insulin, glucometers and test strips. This is critical to ensure equitable accessibility for everyone living with diabetes, no matter where they live’, Dr Sagoe-Moses said.  He assured WHO’s full support ‘to the requisite training of health workers in the prevention and management of NCDs at district and community level, to improve availability of essential services’ for diabetes care.