Lifestyle choices such as obesity, unhealthy diets heavy in industrially processed foods, smoking, and physical inactivity are pushing diabetes cases higher in Uganda, health experts warn.
“Ultra-processed food and heavy alcohol use are key drivers of diabetes. Heavy drinking can worsen blood sugar control and increase the risk of developing diabetes. Chronic lack of sleep is also a contributing risk,” said Dr Fresera Bunjo Muyinga of Aga Khan University hospital, Nakawa.
She made the remarks during a media dialogue at Aga Khan University hospital aimed at raising awareness about diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Aga Khan University (AKU) and its hospitals in Kampala are involved in diabetes awareness, screening and treatment across the country.
“Diabetes, once perceived as a condition primarily affecting older adults, is now increasingly impacting younger Ugandans, often with severe complications due to late diagnosis and inadequate management,” Dr. Muyinga said.
Diabetes is a group of diseases that cause high blood sugar. It happens either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because the body cannot use insulin well. Type 1 diabetes, often diagnosed in childhood, cannot be prevented and requires daily insulin.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin or produces too little, and is closely linked to factors such as obesity, diet, age and lack of exercise.
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and usually disappears after childbirth. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2018 that diabetes caused an estimated 11,341 deaths in Uganda.
The same report noted that diabetes, along with cardiovascular diseases, contributed heavily to the more than 36 per cent of deaths linked to non-communicable diseases, and warned that the number of people living with diabetes could double by 2040.
A WHO report in 2021 found that about 89 per cent of Ugandans with diabetes were not aware they had the condition and were not receiving treatment.
That lack of early care, experts say, increases the risk of serious complications, premature death, and higher treatment costs. The report also noted that diabetes prevalence in Uganda has tripled over the last decade, with some regions, including rural eastern Uganda, recording rates as high as 7.4 per cent.
Uganda is now estimated to have more than 700,000 adults living with diabetes. “The cost of managing and treating Type 2 diabetes alone places a heavy financial burden on both the government and households, totaling an estimated Shs 2.2 trillion annually,” Dr Muyinga said.
She added that many patients struggle with the high cost and inconsistent availability of essential medicines such as insulin and testing supplies. In July 2025, the ministry of Health, working with the Uganda Diabetes Association, launched Uganda’s first comprehensive diabetes management guidelines to standardize care and address gaps that have long affected treatment.
Health bodies say prevention must now be treated as urgently as treatment. That includes promoting healthier diets, encouraging regular exercise, and “cleaning up the food environment” increasingly dominated by ultra- processed foods. Some Ugandans, however, still turn to traditional herbal remedies.
Health officials say the government is conducting clinical trials on a potential herbal medicine for diabetes and cancer, though its safety and effectiveness are still being studied.
TREATMENT AT HOME, NOT ABROAD
Diana Namubine Ssewanyana of Aga Khan University hospital, Nakawa, said the hospital is expanding specialized diabetes care to reduce the need for expensive overseas treatment.
She noted that the government spends more than Shs 237 billion each year on treatment abroad, money she says could be saved if more Ugandans prevented diabetes through healthier living.
“I advise people to improve their diet, do regular physical activity, maintain a healthy weight, go for screening, and avoid industrially processed foods, alcohol, and smoking,” Ssewanyana said.
RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS
Doctors urge people to watch for early symptoms such as constant thirst, frequent urination, unusual hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, weight loss, and weakness.
“Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, is necessary to move glucose from the bloodstream into cells for energy,” Ssewanyana explained.
“In people with diabetes, this process is impaired because the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it properly. This leads to a buildup of glucose in the blood, which can damage blood vessels, nerves, and organs over time.”
About the Author
