6 Million Nigerians Face Life-Threatening Diabetes Disease

6 Million Nigerians Face Life-Threatening Diabetes Disease

By Fly Cable News

The Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN) has warned that over six million Nigerians living with diabetes are at severe risk due to the skyrocketing costs of healthcare.

In a statement marking World Diabetes Day on November 14, the association’s National President, Dr. Ejiofor Ugwu, revealed that the country loses 30,000 to 40,000 lives annually to the disease.

Dr. Ugwu emphasized that an estimated 6 to 8 million Nigerians (about 5.7% of the population) suffer from diabetes, but the true number could be even higher, as two-thirds of cases go undiagnosed due to the lack of routine screenings. He highlighted that the rising cost of diabetes medications, such as insulin—whose price has surged by over 400%, from N4,000 to N18,000 per vial—has become a significant barrier to proper management of the condition.

This price hike, combined with widespread poverty, low awareness of diabetes, and inadequate healthcare resources, is leading to worsening complications and preventable deaths.

Dr. Ugwu called for urgent intervention from the federal government, including subsidies on diabetes medications and consumables to make them affordable. He also proposed a complete tax waiver on the importation of diabetes-related products, the revival of the sugar-sweetened beverages tax (suspended in June 2024), and the use of the funds for diabetes and non-communicable disease prevention programs.

Furthermore, he stressed the need for a national survey on non-communicable diseases to provide accurate data to inform policy decisions and improve healthcare outcomes.