The World Health Organisation Country Representative in Ghana, Dr. Francis Kasolo, has urged Ghanaians to take their health seriously, ensuring that they constantly exercise.

He explained that there is the need for this to be prioritized because there is a total of 7.5% of adults in Ghana who are living with type 2 diabetes.

“In 2022 alone Diabetes mellitus accounted for over 600,000 deaths on the continent of Africa, and is forecasted to become one of the leading causes of death by 2030.

“Here in Ghana, similar epidemiological trends are reflected with approximately 7.5% of adults having Type-2 Diabetes (T2D),” he said.

Speaking at the WHO-MOH Collaboration Spotlight on Diabetes in Ghana, under the theme, “Promoting Partnerships for Diabetes Prevention and Control,” Dr. Kasolo stressed the importance of healthy-lifestyles among Ghanaians.

“To Ghanaians, I cannot overemphasise the importance of healthy diet, combined with regular exercising, avoiding Tobacco smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol consumption. This will go a long way in preventing individuals from developing Type 2 diabetes and other NCDs. As WHO, we commit our full support to improving diabetes care in Ghana,” he added.

Globally, more than 500 million persons live with diabetes, with majority of them residing in low-and middle-income countries. This number is projected to increase by 80 percent by 2045 if nothing is done to address the risk factors and drivers of this diseases.

In Africa, 24 million adults are currently living with diabetes, with that number predicted to swell by approximately 130% to 55 million by 2045.

AE/WA