The President of the Ghana Diabetes Association, Elizabeth Esi Denyoh, has been elected Chairperson of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for the Africa Region.

Mrs Denyoh was elected at the end of the 2022 World Congress of the IDF held in Lisbon, Portugal, where she contested with three other candidates from Senegal, Mauritania, and Uganda.

Mrs Denyoh takes over from Professor Jacque Abodo of Cote d’Ivoire, being the first non-medical doctor to be elected as the Chairperson of the IDF for the Africa Region.

Her term will last from 2022 to 2026.

Speaking in an interview, Elizabeth Denyoh described her election as Africa’s representative on the global organisation as a “win for all Africa," adding that "I promise to unite the continent together towards the fight against diabetes that is a major cause of deaths in females in South Africa."

She pledged to work with the African Union (AU) to get governments to give waivers on taxes for diabetes consumables across the continent.

Elzabeth Esi Denyoh also said that she would work with the Food and Drugs Authorities (FDA), as well as the ministries of heath in Africa to ensure that unwholesome diabetes drugs are eradicated from the system so that “we have high quality standard medicines for diabetes on the African market."

According to the IDF Chairperson for Africa, she would engage giant pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Pfizer and Gloxosmithkline, to produce diabetes treatment drugs, particularly insulin, on the continent.

As part of her vision for her four-year tenure, Mrs Denyoh said she would endeavour to ensure that the continent moves from over dependence on donor funding for the treatment of diabetes, to a system where “we can device mechanisms to become self-reliant in providing our own resources to treat our own citizens.”

She further pledged to dialogue with all stakeholders to enhance diabetes treatment and bring hope to diabetes patients .

“I wish to use my election as senior nurse to this great position as victory and urge all Ghanaian nurses that there are more opportunities out there for nurses outside the hospital walls," she added.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organisation of over 230 national diabetes associations in 170 countries and territories, representing the interests of the growing numbers of people with diabetes and those at risk.

The Federation has been leading the global diabetes community since 1950.

AE/BOG