The number of diabetes sufferers in Africa remains uncertain, although and IDF estimate from 2000 put the figure at 7.5 million diabetic adults between 20 and 79 years of age. It is thought that this figure is now much larger.

The WHO (World Health Organisation) and the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) estimate that the diabetes population will double over the next twenty five years in Adrica.

This raises enormous healthcare questions, as all African countries are already struggling to cope with the diabetes burden. Awareness is regarded as being poor, and the concentrations of the disease vary considerably between different ethnic groups.

Type 1 diabetes, although still rare in many areas, is becoming increasingly more prevalent. IGT (Impaired Glucose Tolerance) is also becoming problematic, and exceeds 30 per cent in many African countries.

The World Health Organisation estimated the following diabetes populations by country for 2000, and 2030.

Country
2000
2030
Algeria
426,000
1,203,000
Angola
51,000
140,000
Benin
87,000
266,000
Botswana
25,000
45,000
Burkina Faso
124,000
388,000
Burundi
26,000
72,000
Cameroon
70,000
171,000
Cape Verde
7,000
24,000
CAR
18,000
46,000
Chad
97,000
269,000
Comoros
4,000
15,000
Congo
14,000
39,000
Côte d’Ivoire
264,000
636,000
DR Congo
291,000
910,000
Eq. Guinea
8,000
21,000
Eritrea
65,000
142,000
Ethiopia
796,000
1,820,000
Gabon
8,000
14,000
Gambia
22,000
61,000
Ghana
302,000
851,000
Guinea
34,000
89,000
Guinea-Bissau
17,000
44,000
Kenya
183,000
498,000
Lesotho
31,000
42,000
Liberia
40,000
154,000
Madagascar
100,000
301,000
Malawi
65,000
118,000
Mali
140,000
405,000
Mauritania
34,000
103,000
Mauritius
111,000
233,000
Mozambique
133,000
291,507
Namibia
25,000
60,000
Niger
108,000
382,000
Nigeria
1,707,000
4,835,000
Rwanda
30,000
77,000
Sao Tome
1,000
2,000
Senegal
143,000
421,000
Seychelles
8,000
19,000
Sierra Leone
65,000
178,000
South Africa
814,000
1,286,000
Swaziland
13,000
21,000
Togo
64,000
184,000
Uganda
98,000
328,000
UR Tanzania
201,000
605,000
Zambia
70,000
186,000
Zimbabwe
108,000
265,000
Total
7,020,000
18,234,000

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