Diabetes prevalence (% of population ages 20 to 79) - Africa

Definition: Diabetes prevalence refers to the percentage of people ages 20-79 who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Description: The map below shows how Diabetes prevalence (% of population ages 20 to 79) varies by country in Africa. The shade of the country corresponds to the magnitude of the indicator. The darker the shade, the higher the value. The country with the highest value in the region is Mauritius, with a value of 22.60. The country with the lowest value in the region is Benin, with a value of 1.10.

Source: International Diabetes Federation, Diabetes Atlas.

See also: Country ranking, Time series comparison

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Development Relevance: Diabetes, an important cause of ill health and a risk factor for other diseases in developed countries, is spreading rapidly in developing countries. Highest among the elderly, prevalence rates are rising among younger and productive populations in developing countries. Economic development has led to the spread of Western lifestyles and diet to developing countries, resulting in a substantial increase in diabetes. Without effective prevention and control programs, diabetes will likely continue to increase.

Limitations and Exceptions: The limited availability of data on health status is a major constraint in assessing the health situation in developing countries. Surveillance data are lacking for many major public health concerns. Estimates of prevalence and incidence are available for some diseases but are often unreliable and incomplete. National health authorities differ widely in capacity and willingness to collect or report information.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual