World Diabetes Day: Experts Seek Urgent Action On Diabetes Care

To mark the annual world diabetes day, experts under the aegis of coalition of frontline non-governmental organizations have called for priority action on diabetes care.

They stressed the urgent need for government to implement mandatory and effective health policies so as to reduce the rising non-communicable disease rates, particularly type 2 diabetes, in Nigeria.

In a statement issued at the weekend and signed by the Coalition representative Runcie Chidebe, it said figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that nearly 4 million Nigerians are living with diabetes, with type 2 diabetes being more common than type 1.

According to the coalition, a study conducted in 2020 had linked increased type 2 diabetes risk with high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, or soft drinks as they are commonly called.

The statement further quoted Chidebe as saying: “We cannot afford to see the detrimental health and economic effects of easy access to sugar-sweetened beverages go unchallenged. Revenue from the proposed tax can be used to fund diabetes care for Nigeria’s poor and vulnerable populations.”

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had recently announced a proposed pro-health tax increase on soft drinks in Nigeria in the 2022 budget.

During the Public Presentation and Breakdown of the Highlights of the 2022 Appropriation Bill, the minister said the government will increase excise “duties on carbonated drinks in the 2021 Finance Act.”

The coalition maintained that such tax funds can be earmarked for providing healthcare to the country’s low-income groups.

“For Nigeria’s urban poor, soft drinks are readily accessible, but basic aspects of diabetes care such as insulin and blood sugar monitoring devices remain far out of reach,” it said.

In addition to the economic benefits of the tax, the coalition recognized the positive effect this will have on the health of Nigerians.

“While the coalition applauds the Federal Government for this significant step towards protecting the lives of Nigerians, it says much remains to be done.

“It is calling for a specific excise duty of 20% on all sugar-sweetened beverages and asks that the government use this tax to fund the prevention and treatment of NCDs, including type 2 diabetes in Nigeria,” it added.

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