Nearly 80% of Ghanaians living with diabetes unaware of their condition – Association

Nearly 80% of adults living with diabetes in Ghana are unaware of their condition, raising concerns about late diagnosis and the growing burden of the disease in the country.

The President of the National Diabetes Association of Ghana, Elizabeth Denyoh, disclosed this during the official launch of World Diabetes Day 2026, held under the theme: “Early Action on Diabetes Know Your Risk, Know Your Numbers, Act Now.”

World Diabetes Day is observed annually on November 14.

Citing the 11th edition of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas, Mrs Denyoh said an estimated 589 million adults aged between 20 and 79 were living with diabetes worldwide, with the figure projected to rise to 853 million by 2050.

She said approximately 252 million adults worldwide were unaware that they had the condition, leaving them vulnerable to complications that could have been prevented or managed through early diagnosis and treatment.

“They are walking among us. They are in our homes, our churches, our mosques, our marketplaces, and yes, possibly in this very gathering. Undiagnosed. Untreated. Unaware until a stroke, a heart attack, kidney failure, blindness, or an amputation announces what a simple blood test could have revealed years earlier,” she said.

Mrs Denyoh further revealed that about 635 million adults worldwide were already at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while annual global expenditure on the disease had exceeded $1 trillion, representing approximately 12% of total global health spending.

She said Africa was facing an increasingly worrying situation, with an estimated 24.6 million adults living with diabetes in 2024, representing a prevalence rate of about 5%.

The number is expected to increase by 142% to nearly 60 million by 2050, making Africa the region projected to record the fastest growth in diabetes cases.

More concerning, she noted, was that approximately 17.9 million people, representing 72.6% of adults with diabetes in Africa, remained undiagnosed, the highest proportion among all IDF regions.

She attributed the trend to the continent's youthful population, rapid urbanisation, changing dietary habits, inadequate screening facilities and health systems that have traditionally prioritised infectious diseases over non-communicable conditions.

“Africa is not merely catching up with the global diabetes epidemic. In relative terms, it is accelerating fastest,” she said.

Turning to Ghana, Mrs Denyoh said IDF estimates indicated that 317,400 adults aged between 20 and 79 were living with diabetes, equivalent to 2.7% of the adult population, or approximately one in every 37 adults.

Without decisive intervention, she warned, the number could exceed 800,000 by 2050.

She identified the country's estimated undiagnosed rate of 78.7% as particularly troubling, translating into approximately 250,000 adults who are living with the condition without knowing their status.

Mrs Denyoh said findings from local studies in parts of Accra, Cape Coast and other communities suggested prevalence rates ranging from about 6% to more than 8%, considerably higher than the national IDF estimate, with women often recording higher rates than men.

A study in Ga Mashie, for instance, recorded diabetes prevalence of 8.2% among adults aged 25 and above, alongside high levels of central obesity.

Another study reportedly found an overall prevalence of about 8.8%, while pre-diabetes affected 14.5% of those surveyed.

She added that approximately 1.7 million Ghanaian adults were already living with impaired glucose tolerance, placing them at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

“Behind every one of these statistics is a name, a family, a breadwinner, a child. Diabetes is no longer a disease of the rich or the elderly. It is a disease of the market woman in Makola, the trotro driver in Kumasi, the teacher in Tamale, the fisherman in the Volta, and increasingly, the young person in secondary school or tertiary institution,” Mrs Denyoh said.

She stressed that early intervention must begin with regular health checks, particularly among adults above 35, people with a family history of diabetes, those who are overweight or obese, women who experienced diabetes during pregnancy and individuals with high blood pressure.

“A blood glucose test takes minutes and costs little, yet it can save your limbs, your sight, your kidneys, your life,” she emphasised.

The National Diabetes Association, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Health and development partners, is expected to organise free and subsidised screening exercises in communities across the country as part of activities marking World Diabetes Day.

Mrs Denyoh urged the public to take advantage of the initiative, encouraging people to undergo screening and bring along friends, colleagues and members of their communities.

For people already diagnosed with diabetes, she said the condition could be managed through early treatment, healthy eating based on nutritious local foods, regular physical activity and consistent use of prescribed medication.

She particularly emphasised the importance of insulin for people living with type 1 diabetes, warning against situations where patients are unable to access the medication because of shortages or high costs.

“No child in Ghana should die because insulin was unavailable or unaffordable. No adult should lose a foot because a wound was ignored or because blood sugar was never checked.”

Mrs Denyoh said many cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented or delayed through healthier lifestyle choices, including reducing the consumption of sugary drinks and highly processed foods, eating more whole grains, vegetables, legumes and seasonal fruits, and engaging in at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily.

She also encouraged people to quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption, stressing that preventive action was less costly than treating complications.

“Early action today is cheaper in money and in suffering than complications tomorrow.”

The association president called on government and policymakers to work more closely with civil society organisations in tackling the disease, arguing that a coordinated national response was necessary to achieve meaningful progress.

“We cannot get anywhere with our fight against diabetes if we continue in that tangent,” she said.

She called for increased investment in screening and treatment at the primary healthcare level, improved access to affordable essential medicines, including insulin and oral anti-diabetic drugs, and stronger regulation of unhealthy food marketing, particularly advertisements targeting children.

She also advocated the integration of non-communicable disease services into the National Health Insurance Scheme and urged policymakers to align Ghana's national response with the World Health Organisation's global target of ensuring that 80% of people living with diabetes are diagnosed by 2030.

Mrs Denyoh further appealed for incentives to encourage healthcare professionals to remain in the country and contribute to strengthening the health system.

“Let no opportunity pass every outpatient visit. Every antenatal clinic, every workplace, health day is a chance to check a blood sugar,” she stressed.

She also urged religious and traditional institutions, as well as employers, to make routine health checks part of their activities, organise screening exercises and help dispel misconceptions surrounding diabetes.

She specifically cautioned against beliefs that diabetes was caused by witchcraft or that insulin was meant only for patients whose conditions had become severe.

Mrs Denyoh further proposed the inclusion of fruits in school feeding programmes and called on the media to play an active role in educating the public and promoting preventive healthcare.

She concluded by emphasising that although diabetes and its complications could pose serious threats, early detection, timely treatment and preventive measures could significantly improve outcomes.

“Diabetes does not wait. Complications do not send polite warnings. But the good news is that early action works. Early diagnosis works. Timely treatment works. Prevention works.”