Improving outcomes in sub-Saharan African diabetes through better diagnosis and treatment
Diabetes is a major cause of death and ill health throughout sub-Saharan Africa, affecting 7% of the adult population. Despite this, key clinical questions for effective management in this population are unanswered. A recent international commission has highlighted that we do not know the best way to detect or treat diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa. Fundamental differences in both the diabetes and in the health care environment mean that merely replicating care practices in the west is not appropriate. Research to develop transferable and sustainable practices for detection and monitoring is crucial.
The NIHR Global Health Research Group is a multi-disciplinary research group combining the internationally leading expertise in diagnosis and treatment of the University of Exeter Medical School’s Diabetes Clinical Research team and leading partners at MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit and the University of Yaoundé I. Together, the group is attempting to answer fundamental questions for diabetes detection and treatment needed for effective patient care, train the next generation of clinical researchers, and build crucial research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (17/63/131) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK Department of Health and Social Care.
