There is urgent need to improve public awareness of diabetes

Diabetes is divided into two broad categories; type 1 and type 2. [iStockphoto]

Diabetes, a non-communicable lifestyle disease usually associated with the wealthy, is quickly becoming a problem in the developing world. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), developing countries account for three out of every four of the world's 537 million adults with diabetes. The disease poses a serious challenge to developing world healthcare systems, with the total number of diabetes patients expected to rise to 643 million by 2030.

According to Kenya's National Strategic Plan for the Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, the diabete's burden was expected at 3.1 per cent of the population in 2019. The prevalence is expected to rise to 4.4 per cent by 2035 without immediate and effective remediation.