Zimbabwe faces growing diabetes crisis, children increasingly at risk

ZIMBABWE is grappling with a rising diabetes epidemic, with cases surging across the country and increasingly affecting children and teenagers, health experts warn.

The trend is being fuelled by unhealthy eating habits in schools and a lack of diabetic-friendly meal options in restaurants and fast-food outlets.

In urban areas, nutritionists say, restaurants and fast-food outlets are failing to cater for people living with diabetes, making it difficult to manage the condition, particularly when relying on takeaways.

Ms Anne Musauke, a nutritionist and representative of Strictly Diabetic in Zimbabwe, said diabetes is one of the fastest-growing non-communicable diseases in the country, driven by changes in diet, physical inactivity, urbanisation and limited access to preventive care.

“The increasing incidence of type one diabetes among kids and teens is concerning. School tuckshops often sell unhealthy foods, putting diabetic children at risk. We urge healthy options and policies regulating school food sales and recommend parents limit sweets for children under two, introducing fruits and vegetables instead,” she said.

The school environment has been identified as a major contributing factor, with tuckshops selling sweets, cakes, jiggles and other high-sugar snacks thereby increasing learners’ risk of early-onset diabetes.

Nutritionists encourage people to consume traditional isitshwala and indigenous vegetables, keeping carbohydrates under 25 percent and vegetables over 50 percent of the diet.

Ms Sithulisile Phiri, mother of a 12-year-old recently diagnosed with type one diabetes, shared the daily challenges she faces.

“Firstly, we suspected acid reflux, but a doctor diagnosed him with diabetes. He is on insulin twice a day. It is a very difficult situation.

“No one wants a child to be sick; it changes everything — your happiness, your focus, your life,” she said.
“Sometimes I feel unfair to my other children because now, we all have to follow the same diet and limit certain foods at home.”

Ms Paida Maimbidza, a nutritionist from Kylight Nutrition, said type one diabetes is often underdiagnosed, and children, especially in rural areas, face a high risk of dying before being diagnosed.

“The cause of this autoimmune disorder is not fully understood, but it involves genetic predisposition and environmental triggers,” she said.

Dr Wedu Ndebele, a paediatrician, said diabetes is a complex, non-communicable disease, influenced by genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.

“The public should eat healthy, exercise regularly, go for check-ups, and get diagnosed early as measures to control the disease,” he said.

Health experts stress that urgent interventions in schools, communities, and urban food environments are needed to curb the rising tide of diabetes among Zimbabwe’s youth. Chronicle