Africans with diabetes more vulnerable to coronavirus deaths: report

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - The number of people dying from coronavirus infections in Africa is much higher in patients with diabetes, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report Thursday.

“Africa’s sharp increase in diabetes is clashing with the COVID-19 pandemic and poor access to vaccines,” said the UN health agency.

The WHO released its preliminary analysis one day before World Diabetes Day which is marked annually on Nov. 14.

A recent analysis by the WHO evaluated data from 13 countries on underlying conditions, or comorbidities, in Africans who tested positive for the virus.

“It revealed a 10.2% case fatality rate in patients with diabetes, compared with 2.5% for COVID-19 patients overall,’’

“The case fatality rate for people with diabetes was also twice as high as the fatality rate among patients suffering any comorbidity,” it said. “In addition to people with diabetes, the three most frequent underlying conditions included patients with HIV and hypertension.’’

WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said “COVID-19 is delivering a clear message: fighting the diabetes epidemic in Africa is in many ways as critical as the battle against the current pandemic.”

Moeti noted that the current pandemic will eventually subside but Africa is projected in the coming years to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally.

“We must act now to prevent new cases, vaccinate people who have this condition (diabetes) and, equally importantly, identify and support the millions of Africans unaware they are suffering from this silent killer,” she said.

An estimated 24 million people are living with diabetes in Africa in 2021, according to the International Diabetes Federation.

The continent is expected to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally, with the number of Africans suffering from the disease predicted to rise to 55 million by 2045, an increase of 134% compared to 2021.

The report said Africa is the region with the highest number of people who do not know their diagnosis -- an estimated 70% do not know they have the disease.

Access to vaccines also remains poor on the continent. Thus far, only 6.6% of the population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared with about 40% globally.

Data from 37 countries indicates that since March, more than 6.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have gone to Africans with comorbidities, representing 14% of all doses administered.

The WHO said efforts to prioritize people with comorbidities, like diabetes, are accelerating with about half of the 6.5 million doses administered in the last couple of months.

The African Centers for Disease Control said 357.9 million vaccine doses have been supplied to the continent and 204.3 million have been administered.

Africa CDC said 9.20% of the African population has been partially immunized.

The continent has recorded more than 8.5 million coronavirus cases and 220,000 deaths.