Childhood diabetes in Africa

This review summarizes the current state of diabetes in African children.

Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of pediatric diabetes in Africa. Significant improvements have been achieved over the last 6 years, including the training of more than 60 pediatric endocrinologists who are now practicing in 14 African nations, greater training of other healthcare providers, increased availability of insulin through the efforts of philanthropic organizations and industry, modestly better availability of testing supplies, and the introduction of patient education materials in native languages. However, there is still a long way to go before the standard-of-care available to children in resource-rich nations is available to children with diabetes in Africa.

Here, we review the known epidemiology, pathophysiology, complications, and treatment of diabetes in children in Africa.