The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that 75 per cent of diabetes cases across Africa remain undiagnosed, creating a massive gap in healthcare detection and management. This lack of early diagnosis increases the risk of severe, life-threatening complications for millions of people on the continent.
Mohamed Janabi, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, stated that an estimated 24.6 million adults aged 20 to 79 were living with diabetes in the African Region in 2024. These figures, provided by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), point to a critical failure in routine screening and early medical intervention.
The high rate of undiagnosed cases means most patients only discover their condition after it has caused permanent damage to vital organs. Without regular blood glucose monitoring, the disease often remains undetected until it results in emergencies such as kidney failure, vision loss, or cardiovascular complications.
Systemic challenges in diabetes detection
The warning issued by the WHO regarding undiagnosed diabetes in Africa suggests that current healthcare systems lack the necessary diagnostic infrastructure to identify the condition in its early stages. In many regions, medical services are primarily focused on infectious diseases, leaving non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes poorly monitored.
The rise in diabetes prevalence is frequently linked to rapid urbanisation, shifts in dietary habits, and more sedentary lifestyles across African nations. However, the primary barrier to management is the silent nature of the disease. For many individuals, particularly in rural or underserved areas, there is no access to regular health check-ups that include glucose testing.
The economic impact of this diagnostic gap is substantial. Managing the late-stage complications of diabetes is far more expensive than early intervention. For healthcare systems, the cost of treating advanced cases—such as amputations and dialysis—places a heavy burden on public health budgets.
For many African families, a sudden diagnosis of advanced diabetes can lead to catastrophic health expenditures. The loss of productivity from a breadwinner due to diabetes-related disability or premature death can push households into deep poverty.
Current efforts to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases in Africa are often hampered by limited funding and a shortage of trained medical personnel capable of managing chronic care. International health bodies are now pushing for more robust data collection to better understand the specific demographic trends driving this epidemic.
Health experts say that addressing this crisis requires a shift towards community-based screening and the integration of diabetes testing into primary healthcare services. Until diagnostic tools become more widely available and affordable, the number of undiagnosed cases is expected to grow alongside the continent’s rising population.
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