More people die of diabetes than HIV, TB and Malaria combined, according to an endocrinologist, Dr Sundeep Ruder. He says the prevalence of diabetes in South Africa is under-reported.
It is estimated that thousands of people are living with diabetes and are not aware. This as the world observes Obesity Day on Thursday.
Ruder addressed the media at the Obesity Prevention National Journalism training workshop in Johannesburg.
“The prevalence rates are not accurately reported in SA. So the reported rates around 2 million to three million known diabetics but we know 50 percent of diabetics are not diagnosed yet. So it’s probably double that figure. And the increase in prevalence is set to be in Africa 140 percent by the year 2040 and more people die from diabetes related complications than the sum of HIV, TB and Malaria in 2015.”
