As part of activities commemorating the World Diabetes Day, the National Action on Sugar Reduction Coalition (NASR) organized a photo exhibition to showcase people living with diabetes in Nigeria.
Through patient stories and testimonials, the exhibition, which took place at Thought Pyramid Art Gallery Abuja, educated stakeholders on Nigeria’s diabetes burden and the need for action to reduce the difficulties of living with diabetes in Nigeria.
The Coalition spokesperson, Omei Bongos-Ikwue, noted that diabetes, a chronic disease that negatively impacts every organ in the body, affects over 11 million Nigerians.
“One of the significant contributors to the diabetes epidemic in Nigeria is the consumption of sugary drinks. The photography exhibition featured patients in different stages of diabetes, some with major complications like limb amputation and blindness.
“In a ‘compelling visual narrative’ photographers Maryam Turaki, Tim Yisa and Maruuf Saidu featured six patients living with diabetes in an effort to increase public concern for the millions of Nigerians suffering with diabetes,” Bongos-Ikwue said.
Secretary of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Comrade Bernard Enyia, urged the government to increase taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, staff state health ministries with diabetes desk officers and remove tariffs on diabetes treatment goods.
“This set of patient demands also emphasized that diabetes screening be free in public facilities and tax revenue be channeled towards subsidizing diabetes care,” Enyia said.
Another panelist, Don Ejiro, said accessing drugs has now become ‘a terrible experience’ with some diabetes medicines now costing four times as much as they used to at the beginning of the year.
The event included a panel session moderated by Prof Felicia Anumah, Director of the Centre for Diabetes Studies at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
Prof. Anumah said that given the Nigerian economy, prevention is the cheapest option.
In a chilling prediction, Prof. Anumah said that as a result of increased inaccessibility to medicines, “more diabetes complications are impending -more strokes, more kidney failures and more gangrenous limbs,” leading to more amputations.
President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Dr Mohammed Alkali, noted that the issue of diabetes is one in which everyone should be involved and that this year’s World Diabetes Day theme, “Know Your Risk, Know Your Response”, underscores the crucial need for action towards preventing the disease and ensuring quality healthcare access.
The list of patient demands by the Diabetes Association of Nigeria include tax sugary beverages at a rate that increases sugary drink prices by at least 20% of the retail price; the cost of insulin has more than doubled and demanding that taxes on insulin be removed and revenue from sugary drink taxes be used to subsidize insulin for diabetes patients, among others.
