Diabetes is a silent epidemic yet an increasingly urgent public health crisis affecting about 830 million people globally. In Africa, an estimated 54 million people aged 18 and older have the disease. Although its prevalence varies between the continents, more than half of the people living with diabetes are undiagnosed, leaving them without essential care.       

The major cause of these significant shortfalls is a lack of frequent blood sugar checks. Many people fail to monitor their blood sugar level regularly, thus increasing their risk of having the disease without realising it. Dr Elizabeth Dangana, a lecturer at Kogi State University, Nigeria, advises “people to have their blood sugar checked regularly to avoid being caught unaware of the disease.”   

For decades, the Accu-Chek device — a portable finger-pricking tool — has provided a simple method for tracking blood sugar levels. However, the introduction of emerging technology such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, including Dexcom G7, FreeStyle Libre, and Eversense E3, is redefining diabetes treatment.

Image credit: Illustration of the FreeStyle Libre CGM product. Image by WundermanWiki, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A CGM is a wireless technology that tracks blood sugar levels over time with a sensor under the skin. Unlike the conventional finger-pricking test, CGM offers unique real-time blood sugar monitoring, notification for fluctuations, and long-term trend analysis, driving innovations for diabetes management.

Although CGM is widely used in many Western countries, its adoption in Africa remains limited. While a few African nations like South Africa and Kenya have embraced CGM, its uptake is constrained by high costs. Research in East Africa has clearly shown its feasibility for use in type 1 diabetes monitoring.

The traditional Accu-Chek device is gradually giving way to smarter and more efficient alternatives. Scaling up CGM use in Africa requires strong collaboration between the government and healthcare organisations to drive affordability and accessibility. Subsidising CGM devices and integrating them into national health insurance programs, millions can gain access to smarter diabetes management solutions.