Medical experts have decried the skyrocketing cost and unavailability of diabetes medications in the country.
This is even as they said the number of diabetic patients has increased to about 14 million.
Meanwhile, the Regional Director for Africa, World Health Organisation, WHO, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, on Thursday, warned that the number of people living with diabetes in the African region is projected to rise to 54 million by 2045.
This marks the highest predicted increase globally if urgent action is not taken.
November 14 is World Diabetes Day, and this year’s theme is “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps.”
Speaking with our correspondent, Consultant Physician and Diabetologist and first Vice President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Dr Mansur Ramalan, lamented the high cost and unavailability of diabetes drugs.
“Diabetic patients are suffering both high cost of drugs and unavailability because three of the companies marketing these drugs have left the country, including Sanofi Aventis which is majorly producing insulin.
“These drugs have been sold to what they call third parties because the people who are marketing them are no longer doing that in Nigeria.
“So once they go to third parties, the prices will naturally increase. Secondly, because of the problems of the exchange rate, the prices have skyrocketed.
“So, there’s a problem of affordability, availability and accessibility. These are the challenges now,” he stated.
The expert noted that government needs to address the issue, so as to reduce the pain of the patients.
“The association wrote government this year about the cost of drugs, but nothing was done about it.
“Last week, we heard that there are free caesarean sections for women, so if they could do that for them, they can also address our concerns.
“Currently, we have about four to six percent prevalence in Nigeria. We are projecting about 12 to 14 million Nigerians living with diabetes.
“It is increasing every year. The 1991 survey showed about 2.4 per cent, but now, we are dealing with about 5.7 to six percent,” he added.
Corroborating, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin and former National Chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, Tanimola Akande, described diabetes as a chronic non-communicable disease with high prevalence and burden in Nigeria.
“World Diabetes Day is an opportunity to raise awareness on diabetes and provide opportunities for screening of the populace.
“It also allows government and other stakeholders to prioritise activities and programmes that address prevention and control of diabetes,” he said.
On her part, Moeti said, “In the WHO African Region alone, more than 24 million adults are currently living with diabetes, half of whom remain undiagnosed.
“Left untreated, diabetes can lead to complications such as heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, kidney failure, lower-limb amputation and eye disease that can result in blindness.
“Without urgent interventions, predictions are that the number of people living with diabetes in the African region will rise to 54 million by 2045, the highest projected increase globally. “This poses a significant dual health and economic burden, including catastrophic spending by individuals to control their disease.
“Compounding the challenge is that Africa has the lowest investment rate in diabetes care worldwide, at only one per cent of the region’s health expenditure.
“Health systems are also traditionally designed to deal with acute, infectious diseases, without sufficient attention paid to chronic diseases like diabetes.”
