Review of Ongoing Activities and Challenges to Improve the Care of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Across Africa and the Implications for the Future

In Sub-Saharan Africa, prevalence and burden of type 2 diabetes are rising quickly. Rapid uncontrolled urbanisation and major changes in lifestyle could be driving this epidemic. The increase presents a substantial public health and socioeconomic burden in the face of scarce resources. Some types of diabetes arise at younger ages in African than in European populations. Ketosis-prone atypical diabetes is mostly recorded in people of African origin, but its epidemiology is not understood fully because data for pathogenesis and subtypes of diabetes in sub-Saharan African communities are scarce. The rate of undiagnosed diabetes is high in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa, and individuals who are unaware they have the disorder are at very high risk of chronic complications. Therefore, the rate of diabetes-related morbidity and mortality in this region could grow substantially. A multisectoral approach to diabetes control and care is vital for expansion of socioculturally appropriate diabetes programmes in sub-Saharan African countries. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common comorbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and both conditions are increasing in prevalence. CKD is estimated to affect ∼50% patients with T2DM globally, and its presence and severity markedly influences disease prognosis. CKD is more common in certain patient populations, including the elderly, those with youth-onset diabetes mellitus, those who are obese, certain ethnic groups, and disadvantaged populations. These same settings have also seen the greatest increase in the prevalence of T2DM, as exemplified by the increasing prevalence of T2DM in low-to- middle income countries. Patients from low-to-middle income countries are often the least able to deal with the burden of T2DM and CKD and the health-care facilities of these countries least able to deal with the demand for equitable access to renal replacement therapies. The increasing prevalence of younger individuals with T2DM, in whom an accelerated course of complications can be observed, further adds to the global burden of CKD. Paradoxically, improvements in cardiovascular survival in patients with T2DM have contributed to patients surviving longer, allowing sufficient time to develop renal impairment. This Review explores how the changing epidemiology of T2DM has influenced the prevalence and incidence of associated CKD across different populations and clinical settings.