The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm over an unprecedented rise in diabetes cases across Africa, warning that the continent is on the brink of a public‑health time bomb if current trends continue unchecked.
According to WHO data, roughly 24 million adults aged 20‑79 in Africa are currently living with diabetes. That figure is projected to rise to 60 million by 2050 unless urgent action is taken. The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, attributed the surge to rising obesity and overweight rates, urbanisation, sedentary lifestyles, and limited access to preventive care and early diagnosis.
Janabi warned that the rapidly growing diabetes burden risks overwhelming health systems across the region, stressing that many countries lack the resources and infrastructure required for sustained, continuous care, from prevention to treatment.
The WHO‑Africa region’s theme for this year’s World Diabetes Day focuses on “Diabetes Across Life Stages,” highlighting that the disease is increasingly affecting children, adolescents, young adults and older populations alike. Janabi emphasised that countries must adopt life‑stage‑specific interventions that cover prevention, early detection and lifelong management.
Efforts to integrate diabetes care into primary health services are under way. Countries such as Ghana and Uganda are already working with WHO on programmes that link diabetes and cardiovascular care within existing healthcare delivery frameworks.
However, several structural challenges remain. The WHO warns that nearly half of all diabetes cases in Africa remain undiagnosed, leaving millions vulnerable to complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and early death. Access to insulin, diagnostic tools and specialised care is erratic, especially in rural areas and for the economically disadvantaged.
WHO is calling on governments to bolster health systems, allocate sustained financing to non‑communicable diseases (NCDs), strengthen data systems, expand access to digital and primary care solutions and promote healthier diets and physical activity at scale. “Health systems must be resilient, adequately resourced and well‑organised to provide continuous care, from prevention and early diagnosis to effective treatment and life‑long support,” Janabi said.
The warning comes against a broader backdrop of shifting disease burden in Africa. While infectious diseases remain a priority, chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease now claim a growing share of lives and place increased pressure on already stretched health resources. Analysts say the region must adopt the same urgency applied to previous major health crises if it is to avoid a “slow‑moving catastrophe.”
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