SA’s diabetes burden is moving from “silent epidemic” to loud national emergency. – Daily Maverick (20 April 2026)
Following the 2025 Diabetes Summit a coalition of 24 civil society organisations recently issued the Johannesburg Declaration for Accelerated Action on Diabetes in SA. The group includes the Diabetes Alliance, Heala, Doctors Without Borders, the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation and Black Sash.
As diabetes is now a leading cause of natural death, with over half of cases undiagnosed, Heala requested stronger political action, including recognising diabetes as a public health crisis and increasing the sugar tax. It also called for clinic-level reforms, a national registry by 2027 and better primary care integration to improve diagnosis, treatment and long-term patient support.