A widespread belief persists among many in rural communities in Eastern Region that both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes are ailments exclusive to the affluent, and that impoverished individuals only contract the disease through bewitchment.
This misguided perception has resulted in families concealing cases of advanced-stage diabetes in prayer camps, herbal centers, and spiritual institutions.
Nana Akua Yeboah, the Queen mother for young women (Mmabaahemaa) of Sowatey in the Ayensuano District, affirmed the reality of these misconceptions.
She highlighted that many still perceive diabetes as a condition reserved for the wealthy, leading families to conceal diagnoses, particularly when individuals develop sores. Some resort to seclusion in rooms or seek refuge in prayer camps and herbalist facilities.
“Many people still belief that diabetes is rich people disease that it is only through bewitchment that a person in rural areas can get the diseases so when anyone is in rural area is diagnosed the family tries to hide it from others especially when the person develop sore, they hide him in a room sometimes send him to prayer camp and herbalist, said Nana Akua Yeboah .
Emmanuel Kwarfo Mintah, the Executive Director of Ark Development Organization, a nonprofit organization, has been actively addressing this issue in 30 rural communities in Eastern Region.
As part of a two-year project on Type-1 diabetes, Mintah reported that out of 4,835 individuals screened in Ayensuano and Nsawam Adoagyiri districts, 102 tested positive for Type-2 diabetes, with an additional three cases of Type-1 diabetes. Shockingly, some of these individuals were discovered in prayer camps and shrines.
Mintah emphasized that many affected individuals turn to prayer camps and shrines for treatment, underscoring the necessity for intervention and awareness campaigns.
The organization’s efforts involve visiting such locations to identify individuals with diabetes and referring them to hospitals for proper medical care.
“Most of the people when they get the disease, they result to prayer camps and shrines for their medication and treatment. But as a result of our intervention, we visit shrines and prayer camps to identify those people. So, we normally refer them to the hospital. We screened 4835.we were able to get 102 positives. They were fresh cases,” Kwarfo Mintah said.
During a float and a durbar to mark World Diabetes Day in Sowatey, Mintah expressed concern about the limited access to insulin for those with Type-1 diabetes.
He called upon the government to incorporate insulin into medications covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme, addressing a major challenge faced by individuals with this form of diabetes.
Emmanuel Kwarfo Mintah used the occasion to dispel the misconception that diabetes affects only rich people, that, a poor person can only get the disease through spiritual attack.
Mrs. Esther Oku Afari, the Ayensuano District Director of Health, voiced her worry about the increasing sedentary lifestyle among Ghanaians, attributing it to a higher risk of diabetes.
Recent data indicates that an estimated 2.4 million Ghanaians are living with diabetes, and 7.5% of adults are affected by Type-2 diabetes.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, global diabetes cases are projected to reach 522 million by 2030, with nearly half of those affected remaining undiagnosed.
In May 2022, Ghana, along with other WHO Member States, established global targets for diabetes as part of a comprehensive strategy to enhance and monitor responses within national non-communicable disease programs.
Source: Ghana/ Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah