Ghana joined the global community to launch the 2025 World Diabetes Day campaign under the theme “Diabetes and Wellbeing,” with a passionate call for a nationwide revolution in diabetes care, awareness, and support. Speaking at the launch in Accra, Mrs. Elizabeth Esi Denyoh, Chairperson of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Africa Region and President of the National Diabetes Association of Ghana (NDAG), urged government, health institutions, corporate bodies, and citizens to adopt a holistic approach to diabetes management—one that goes beyond blood sugar control to encompass physical, mental, social, and economic wellbeing.
Mrs. Denyoh described diabetes as a “silent but ferocious epidemic” threatening Ghana’s national health and productivity. She lamented the growing number of undiagnosed cases and the devastating consequences on families and livelihoods. “It is the father in Kumasi losing his job after an amputation, the market woman in Makola battling blindness, and the teenager in Ho facing stigma for taking insulin,” she said, humanizing the crisis beyond statistics.
She stressed that wellbeing must become central to the national health agenda, urging universal access to affordable medicines and consistent care. Denyoh called for local insulin production, tax waivers on essential supplies, and integration of regular diabetes and hypertension screening across all levels of healthcare.
Addressing mental health, she noted that diabetes management often leads to emotional distress, burnout, and depression. She therefore called for psychological support to be integrated into routine care, along with the creation of peer-support networks to combat isolation and stigma.
Mrs. Denyoh further advocated for national re-education on healthy eating habits, the reduction of ultra-processed foods, and the promotion of traditional Ghanaian meals prepared with less oil, salt, and sugar. On the economic front, she urged corporate Ghana to implement non-discriminatory workplace policies, provide health insurance that covers diabetes, and support wellness initiatives for employees.
Calling on government, Mrs. Denyoh demanded that diabetes be declared a national health priority and that full funding be allocated to implement the National Diabetes Policy and Strategy. She also renewed calls for the introduction of a Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax and for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover all aspects of diabetes care, including test strips, insulin, and educator services.
She appealed to the media to move beyond occasional coverage and champion consistent, educational, and destigmatizing stories about diabetes, while urging every Ghanaian to take personal responsibility for prevention and support.
Concluding her address, Mrs. Denyoh reminded all that the blue circle—the global symbol of diabetes awareness—represents unity, hope, and shared responsibility. “Let us not leave here as mere attendees but as soldiers in the army of wellbeing,” she declared. “Let every Ghanaian living with diabetes say, ‘I am not defined by my condition; I live a life of dignity, purpose, and complete wellbeing.’”
