About 4 million Ghanaians are diabetic

The Ghana Diatebes Association has revealed that about 4 million Ghanaians are living with diabetes. In 2015 alone, a total of 266,200 cases were recorded.

“The Ghana Diabetes Association conducted a screening on selected urban areas and has estimated that there are about 4 million diabetics in Ghana,” a statement by the Health Ministry said.

As Ghana joined the rest of the world on November 14 to mark World Diabetes Day, the Ghana Diabetes Association held a public symposium on the theme ‘Managing Diabetes within the Ghanaian eating context’ to commemorate the day.

The forum was held to educate the public on healthy eating principles. Speaking at the forum, former dietitian at the 37 Military Hospital, Dr. Gladys Peprah Boateng stressed on the need for early detection to slow the development of chronic complications. She also advised the public to eat in moderation and focus more on the quality of food consumed.

“The burden of diabetes is that it affects every part of your body”, she said.

Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service and guest speaker of the event, recommended that people cut down on heavy food.

A healthy meal, he added, should contain staple foods such as legumes, vitamin rich foods and protein source foods. Alcohol intake should also be limited as well as regular exercise to lower blood sugar levels, he advised.

Prof. Akosa was worried about the intellectual vacuum regarding the ailment and advised young ones to read more on the calorie intake. He cautioned pre-diabetics to be mindful of what they eat as your tongue learns what you give it.

Statistics shows that 415 million people have diabetes in the world and more than 14 million people in the African Region. Ghana has a significant disease burden from diabetes. The WHO estimated that in 2014, diabetes mellitus accounted for 2.58% of total deaths in Ghana.