Reviews & Meta-analyses
Collaborative Impact of Diabetes Education by International Diabetes Federation and National Health Systems on Prevalence of Diabetes Amongst the Indigenous People of Africa
- Authors
- Keywords:
- Africa, Community health, Diabetes education, Diabetes mellitus, International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
- Abstract
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Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is becoming a serious health problem in Africa, affecting about 24 million adults, with more than half of them undiagnosed. Indigenous communities are affected the most because of poverty, poor healthcare, and inequality. This narrative review examines how diabetes education from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and national health systems is helping to combat this growing concern among indigenous Africans.
Methods: A total of 39 relevant articles were used for this review covering up to 2025, using search engines and databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
Main content: The IDF has set up various education programs, like the IDF School of Diabetes and other initiatives, often working with host governments, while national health systems have used community-based approaches, such as training health workers, running radio campaigns, and school programs. These efforts have helped improve diabetes control with self-care. Although, problems like lack of funding, cultural differences, weak health monitoring, and poor infrastructure still limit the impact of these education programs.
Conclusion: This review highlights how collaborative diabetes education initiatives by the IDF and national health systems have improved diabetes awareness and control among indigenous Africans.
- Author Biographies
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