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South Africa has more than 4 million people living with diabetes – many aren’t getting proper treatment

South Africa has more than 4 million people living with diabetes – many aren’t getting proper treatment

DIABETS is a chronic condition that affects how the body turns food into energy. In South Africa, there has been a notable rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in recent years, due to changing diets. People are consuming more processed foods, sugary drinks and high-calorie meals. Other factors are the lack of physical activity and high levels of obesity. PATRICK NGASSA PIOTIE, Project Manager, University of Pretoria Diabetes Research Centre, University of Pretoria Type 2 diabetes is the most common form, making up 90% of cases. With this type, the body produces insulin but can’t use it effectively.…
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Technology and home visits can help South Africans with diabetes cope with insulin

Technology and home visits can help South Africans with diabetes cope with insulin

APPROXIMATELY 4.5 million South Africans have type 2 diabetes – a condition characterised by high levels of sugar in the blood. It can be treated with drugs and managed through healthy eating and exercise. But if it’s not managed well, it can be life-threatening. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in South Africa. Blood sugar levels rise to dangerous levels when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar in the body. Authors PATRICK NGASSA PIOTIE, Project Manager, Tshwane Insulin Project, University of Pretoria ELIZABETH M. WEBB, Associate professor, University…
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‘People die at home’

‘People die at home’

A diabetic mother died as her daughter searched the capital of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region for insulin. Women gave birth unattended in the dark because their hospital had no electricity or staff at night. Accounts from residents, medical workers and humanitarian groups illustrate people's plight as Ethiopia struggles to revive a heavily damaged healthcare system in Tigray three months after fighting erupted between the military and the region's former ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Some hospitals are barely functioning, with no water, electricity or food, they said. Most were looted of medicines; staff members fled. "The health…
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