The cost of treating diabetes in East Africa will increase from 3.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 16.2 billion dollars in 2030, a new report said on Tuesday.

   The report, by experts on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), have predicted that in sub-Saharan Africa, the cost associated with the disease could more than double and may reach up to 59.3 billion dollars per year by 2030. 

   The report was published by the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Commission on Diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa by a team of 70 experts.

   "We conclude that sub-Saharan Africa is not prepared for the increasing burden of diabetes brought about by rapid and ongoing transitions,’’ said the experts.

   "Effective management of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa will require careful considerations about the expansion of services to meet current and future burden, while ensuring that services are integrated with those for other chronic diseases.”

   "The health, economic, and societal consequences of inaction will be huge. Decisive action is needed now, by all stakeholders, to address the scale and urgency of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa,’’ they said.

   Currently, only half of the people with diabetes in populations in sub-Saharan Africa are aware that they have the disease, and only 11 percent receive drugs they need.

Xinhua