From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Professor Zubairu Iliyasu, a public health and biostatistics expert, has warned of the escalating obesity and diabetes crisis in Nigeria, noting that over 70% of affected Nigerians are unaware of their condition.
Speaking at the 14th Annual Conference of the Association of Clinical Endocrinologists of Nigeria (ACEN) in Kano, themed “Endocrinology and Public Health,” Iliyasu revealed that over 11 million Nigerians live with diabetes.
He explained that in Lagos State, about 40% of adults are overweight or obese, key drivers of diabetes. Iliyasu lamented, “over 70 percent of Nigerians suffering from the ailment do not know that they have the disease.” He also noted challenges such as patients rationing or abandoning insulin due to high costs and some attributing diabetes to witchcraft.
Iliyasu urged authorities to prioritise these health issues by increasing taxes on sweetened beverages, regulating processed food advertisements, particularly for children, and supporting local food systems like farmers’ markets, school gardens, and agro-entrepreneurs.
Additionally, he advocated for high-fibre diets, increased physical activity in schools, religious centres, and workplaces, and the inclusion of diabetes and obesity prevention in the National Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) plan, school curricula, and universal health coverage.
The conference, held at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano, attracted experts like Emeritus Professor Mohammed Musa Borodo, Professor Andrew Uloko, ACEN President Dr Williams Balogun, and the Chief Medical Officer of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, with others presenting papers digitally.