As the world celebrates World Diabetes Day on Saturday, November 14, 2020. Rwanda has opted for more screening as a means to trace people who may have the disease without being aware.

Due to the Covid-19 preventive measures, celebrations won’t take place, according to Simon-Pierre Niyonsenga, the director of diabetes at Rwanda Biomedical Centre.

"However, we are carrying out a one-month-long campaign to screen diabetes among all people visiting the hospital,” he noted, citing that the exercise is limited to only patients who will go to the hospitals for other diseases.

The campaign aims at tracing out people who might have been infected with the disease but are not aware.

"Actually, one in two people who have diabetes are not aware of their sickness, that is why we are putting much effort in screening in order to reduce the chance of the disease prevalence among the population,” he added.

According to the Ministry of Health’s 2015 survey, Diabetes prevalence in Rwanda is at 3%.  However, another survey is set to be conducted in 2021 to trace the current trend of the disease.

Niyonsenga further added that diabetes has been listed among the diseases whose treatment is catered among the national insurance scheme "Mutuelle de santé”.

"We encourage people to go for screening, we have decentralized the health facilities and cater diabetes treatment in Mutuelle de santé, so that we can make sure people with financial constraints are able to screen for the disease”, he added.

Francois Gishoma, the chairperson of Rwanda Diabetes Association says there are still some challenges for people with diabetes including low financial capability.

"Most of the patients with diabetes are not really energetic to go and work hard. they are mostly less energetic and this limits them hence lowering their standards of living”, he says.

He also added that the personal screening machines are costly and one costs Rwf 35,000 which is hardly affordable to most patients.  

Every year on November 14, the world marks the international day of fighting against diabetes. This year’s theme is "Diabetes and the nurse”.

The theme aims at commending the efforts played by nurses, who account for half of the global workforce, to support people with diabetes.

According to WHO, more than 400 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes as of today.

If the current trend continues, it is estimated that by the year 2040 the number of people living with diabetes will increase to 642 million or 1 out of 10 adults.

The most significant growth in diabetes prevalence will occur in low and middle-income countries.