Diabetes alert in Ghana

Diabetes could be threatening the lives of some 50 per cent of patients in the African country of Ghana . At least 2.2 million Ghanaians already suffer from the disease. Diabetes is a long-term, chronic condition that can lead to a number of potentially serious, life-threatening complications. These include amputation, impotence, stroke, heart attack and blindness.
World Diabetes Day, on November 14th, has provoked the Ghana Diabetes Association to release a statement. They estimate that one person dies every 10 seconds due to diabetes. Furthermore, some 360 million people will become diabetic by 2025. The most seriously affected countries in the world could be low-middle income ones like Ghana.
In Ghana, like many developing countries around the world, the erosion of traditional lifestyles and diet is largely causing diabetes. The president of the Ghana diabetes associatio, Dr. Kwamena Beecham, reportedly commented: “Most people have moved from the traditional foods to more processed, polished and animal-sourced foods that are rich in fats and sugars. To reverse this trend requires a whole government approach rather than solitary action from government bodies responsible for the control of Diabetes.”