At the recent Diabetes Summit, attended by 350 stakeholders from academia, civil society, Government and industry, President Cyril Ramaphosa was urged to declare diabetes a public health emergency, arguing that the country can no longer afford to treat the escalating crisis as routine. – Health eNews (17 Nov 2025)
According to Dr Patrick Ngassa Piotie, Chair of the Diabetes Alliance, diabetes is now a leading cause of death in the country and places severe strain on an already overburdened health system. SA faces an alarming rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), with 4.2 to 4.6mpeople estimated to be living with diabetes.
This crisis is further complicated by a “double burden” unique to South Africa: the intersection of HIV and diabetes.
In response to the growing threat, the Diabetes Alliance plans to shift toward community-based mobilisation, inspired by the Treatment Action Campaign’s grassroots success during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.