A General Physician, Dr Gerald Chinasa, has identified self-medication and lack of proper regulation of foods and drugs consumed within the country as major contributors to increasing diabetes cases among the populace.
Chinasa, also the Head of Medical Team, Heritage Advancement Forum, made the assertion on Saturday in Lagos.
In Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates cases of diabetes to be 4.3 per cent with its prevalence attributed majorly to lifestyle changes caused by urbanisation.
The disease is also linked to industries that produce unhealthy diets, sugar-sweetened drinks, tobacco use as well as harmful use of alcohol and lack of exercise.
The physician decried the level of fake and substandard products in circulation, saying that the country lacks proper control and regulation of the foods and drugs being produced within or imported.
According to him, some few agencies of the government responsible for the regulatory functions are crippled by corruption while individuals involved in the production of such substandard products are driven by greed and avarice.
He lamented that producers of substandard and fake products had no conscience, love or regards to the effect the products might have on their fellow citizens who fall victim of their inordinate quest for wealth.
He said, “In Nigeria, all kinds of drinks, noodles and food products are in circulation and freely consumed by the citizens without proper quality assurance and approval for consumption.
“The end result in most cases is Non-communicable disease, particularly diabetes.
“The country should not leave her citizens to consume all kinds of food and drug products without effective regulation. The rules and guidelines regarding what is produced or imported should be strictly enforced and adhered”.
Chinasa said that the practice of self-medication, rampant among Nigerians, was another major contributing factor to the incidence of diabetes.
He advised that the idea of self-medication should be totally erased from people’s mind, as no one should take medication without due consultation and prescription by a medical practitioner.
He said that citizens should learn to surrender themselves to medical experts in registered hospitals when sick.
Chinasa, who also said that diabetes could be hereditary in nature, stressed that Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, corruption, greed and lack of regulation were major contributory factors of the disease burden in Nigeria.
“Aside the hereditary nature of diabetes, self medication is another factor that is promoting high incidence of diabetes in Nigeria; there is a wide pervading attitude of self medication in Nigeria,” he said.
He, however, explained that diabetes increases with advancing age, saying that this could be because aging was often accompanied by decline in lean body mass and increase in body fat, particularly visceral adiposity which may contribute to the development of insulin resistance.
According to him, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide, and it is projected that by the year 2030, over 500 million adults will be affected.
Chinasa, therefore, called for proper regulation and control of foods and drugs consumed within the country to checkmate the increasing incidence of diabetes among the Nigerian population.
He emphasised the need to strengthen the products, foods and drugs regulatory agencies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant authorities to enable them step up to their mandate and responsibilities.
