Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 74% of deaths worldwide in 2023, up from 58% in 2000, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The figures come from WHO’s latest Global Health Estimates, which track life expectancy, causes of death and disease burden from 2000 to 2023. Life expectancy returns to pre-pandemic levels Global life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023,…
Tag: diabetes
-
Causes of Death in South Africa: Diabetes Leads for Third Year
Diabetes mellitus topped the causes of death in South Africa for a third consecutive year in 2024, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). It accounted for 6.1% of deaths, while hypertensive diseases followed at 5.5%. The findings come from Stats SA’s latest report, “Mortality and causes of death in South Africa: findings from death notification”. It draws on civil…
-
GLP-1 Alone Won’t Solve South Africa’s Diabetes Crisis
GLP-1 medicines are drawing intense interest, but health experts say they cannot resolve South Africa’s diabetes crisis on their own. Deeper answers lie in earlier diagnosis, stronger primary care, healthier food environments, and long-term patient support. Diabetes was the country’s leading underlying natural cause of death in 2023, claiming 27,692 lives, or 5.8% of all recorded deaths, according to Stats…
-
Diabetes Deaths In SA Signal Urgent Public Health Emergency
Diabetes deaths in SA have risen sharply, and the disease has become one of South Africa’s most serious public health threats. New mortality figures show that it was the country’s leading underlying natural cause of death in 2023. According to death notification data processed by Stats SA and reviewed by the Diabetes Alliance, diabetes accounted for 27,692 deaths. That represented…
-
Aspen Insulin Approval Advances Local Health Solutions
Aspen Pharmacare has secured a landmark regulatory win after the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) approved the commercial release of Aspen’s first locally manufactured human insulin batches. The products are cleared for sale in South Africa and other African markets, moving the project from planning into live supply for patients and health systems. Aspen produces the insulin at…
-
Diabetes Dashboard Launches To Speed Up Care In Public Clinics
The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has launched a new Diabetes Dashboard to provide public health workers with near-real-time visibility into patient management across the country. According to the NHLS, the platform helps clinicians and programme managers spot poor glucose control earlier, allowing faster intervention. This tool arrives as civil society and health leaders increasingly frame diabetes as a national…
-
Declaration On Diabetes: Facing a National Emergency
South Africa’s diabetes burden is moving from “silent epidemic” to loud national emergency. Amanda Mashego, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes six years ago, describes daily management as a 24-hour job with no breaks. Every meal, mood shift, and exercise session requires constant calculation. Yet she says the mental load remains largely unseen by the healthcare system. That invisible workload is…
-
SA Mortality Report Highlights Non-Communicable Diseases
The recently released SA Mortality Report highlights that South Africa recorded 476,751 deaths in 2023, down from 492,417 in 2022. The drop continues a steady recovery from the Covid-era shock. In 2021, deaths surged to 623,135 during the pandemic peak. The figures come from Statistics South Africa’s Mortality and Causes of Death report. The data is drawn from the civil…
-
GLP-1 Medicines Review: South Africa Moves to Expand Access
The National Essential Medicines List Committee (NEMLC) has officially prioritised a GLP-1 medicines review. This move signals a potential shift in how South Africa manages the dual crises of type 2 diabetes and obesity. According to senior health department officials, the review aims to determine whether these high-demand drugs should be added to the Essential Medicines List (EML). If approved,…
-
Diabetes Crisis: A Public Health Emergency in South Africa
As the diabetes crisis intensifies, civil society organisations are calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare the disease a public health emergency. They are demanding urgent government intervention and dedicated resources to combat the disease’s devastating impact. The unified demand was presented this week at the Diabetes Summit. Here, 350 stakeholders, including academics, civil society groups, industry representatives, and government…