Diabetes Costs Nigeria $4.5 Billion Annually, Advocacy Group Urges Action on Sugar Reduction

The National Action Plan on Sugar Reduction (NASR) Coalition revealed on Monday that diabetes imposes a direct cost of $4.5 billion on Nigeria. The coalition also highlighted that an individual diagnosed with diabetes spends a minimum of N300,000 annually on healthcare expenses.

This disclosure was made during an art exhibition in Abuja organized by the coalition to mark World Diabetes Day. The event aimed to draw attention to the imperative of addressing the risks of non-communicable diseases arising from the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and the resulting strain on the healthcare sector.

World Diabetes Day, observed on November 14, serves to raise global awareness about diabetes as a significant public health concern, emphasizing the need for collective and individual efforts to enhance prevention, diagnosis, and management of the condition. This year’s theme is ‘Access to diabetes care.’

Speaking at the exhibition, Dr. Alkali Mohammed, President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, emphasized the far-reaching impact of diabetes on individuals and families. He highlighted that the out-of-pocket nature of healthcare payments in Nigeria compounds the financial burden on patients.

Dr. Mohammed underscored the multifaceted consequences of diabetes, stating, “If the head of the family or if the mother is diabetic, and she cannot see, some members of the family that could have been productive elsewhere would be tied down to supporting them. So it has a multi-factorial component, and the amount could be more than that.”

Globally, approximately 537 million people live with diabetes, with projections suggesting a potential increase to 737 million by 2040 unless effective measures are implemented. In Nigeria, an estimated 11.2 million people live with diabetes, and over 90 percent of them have type 2 diabetes.

Advocating for increased taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, Dr. Mohammed proposed raising the tax from 10 percent to 20 percent. He emphasized that this measure would discourage sugary drink consumption, enhance public health, and generate revenue for the government.

Dr. Adamu Umar, Co-chairman of the NASR Coalition and President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, noted that Nigeria bears the highest burden of diabetes in Africa. He called for policy measures to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and increase awareness of healthy lifestyles.

The coalition urged the government to allocate a significant portion of the taxes collected to initiatives focused on public enlightenment, prevention, subsidizing drugs for diabetes patients, and enrolling individuals with non-communicable diseases in health insurance schemes.”

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