Accra, Nov 4, GNA-Ghana has joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 2025 World Diabetes Day on the theme “Diabetes and Wellbeing,” marked by a powerful national call to transform diabetes care and awareness.
At the launch event in Accra, Mrs. Elizabeth Esi Denyoh, Chairperson of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Africa Region and President of the National Diabetes Association of Ghana (NDAG), urged a comprehensive, people-centred approach to tackling the growing diabetes crisis.
Mrs. Denyoh described diabetes as a “silent but ferocious epidemic” that continues to devastate families, communities, and the nation’s economy.
She emphasized that many Ghanaians remain unaware of their condition until complications such as blindness, amputations, or kidney failure occur. “Behind every statistic is a real person — a parent, a worker, a student — whose life has been upended by diabetes,” she said, illustrating the human cost of the disease.
The IDF Africa Chairperson highlighted that the theme “Diabetes and Wellbeing” represents more than medical management; it calls for a holistic view of health that includes physical, mental, nutritional, social, and economic wellbeing.
She underscored the need for universal access to affordable medicines, stable insulin supply, regular screening, and preventive education at all levels of healthcare.
Mrs. Denyoh also addressed the psychological toll of diabetes, calling for mental health support and the creation of peer networks to help patients manage the emotional burden of the condition.
She advocated a return to healthy Ghanaian dietary traditions and urged the nation to combat the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods.
On workplace and economic issues, she encouraged corporate Ghana to implement policies that protected and supported employees living with diabetes and to integrate wellness programmes into their operations.
She called on the government to declare diabetes a national health priority, fully fund the National Diabetes Policy, and expand the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover all aspects of diabetes care.
Mrs. Denyoh also appealed to the media to use their platforms to sustain awareness and education, helping to end stigma and promote early detection.
In her closing remarks, she reminded all Ghanaians of the blue circle — the global symbol of diabetes — as a sign of unity and shared responsibility.
“Let us not leave here as spectators, but as active participants in the fight for wellbeing,” she said.
“Every Ghanaian living with diabetes deserves a life of dignity, purpose, and hope.”
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba