Technology brings hope to diabetics

Lazarus Sauti

Pretty Mhlanga, 35, a single mother of two children from Caledonia farm, is a worried woman.

Her face and body weight shows that something is eating her from within, but sadly, she knows her enemy.

“I am suffering from diabetes, and what worries me is I do not have money to buy medication or visit Ruwa Clinic which is the nearest one, but about 15 kilometres from my homestead,” she said.

“To make my situation worse,” she adds, “My nearest clinic, just like me, does not have a device that can be used to screen my children who may be at risk of diabetes and hypertension.

“I need more than US$100 for treatment, but I cannot afford that. What is competing with the disease in eating me is the fact that I don’t have anything that I can do to ensure that my children are screened as they may be at risk of diabetes,” added Mhlanga.

She is not the only person suffering from the disease as over 1.4 million Zimbabweans are bearing the brunt of diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation – the global advocate for people with diabetes, and sadly, many of them are not even aware of the problem until they become very ill.

The Zimbabwe Diabetic Association (ZDA), a non-profit humanitarian organisation representing the interest of the growing number of people with diabetes and those at risk and their health care givers, also notes that one in 10 people in the country have diabetes, which is characterised by dry mouth and extreme thirst, a constant need to urinate, especially at night, and unexplained as well as un-intentional weight loss.

Last year only, 209 800 cases of diabetes were recorded in Zimbabwe, resulting in the death of 6 956 patients.

Itayi Chigwana, a certified diabetes specialist educator, says diabetes results from the body’s inability to produce and/or use insulin, a hormone that regulates the body’s metabolism.

He also said there are two types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

“While Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are separate conditions, they both manifest in high blood sugar,” noted Chigwana.

He added that diabetes is not only a growing problem in Zimbabwe, but in southern Africa and the rest of the continent as it is estimated that eight percent of sub-Saharan Africans above 25 years of age have the condition, a fact supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This prompted medical expert, Dr Kudzai Karumbiswa, to say diabetes must be taken seriously as it can cause serious complications such as stokes and blindness as well as gangrene of the feet leading to amputations.

World statistics, adds Dr Karumbiswa, show that 70 percent of all amputations are done as a consequence of diabetes.

“If you do nothing about your diabetes, you will quickly develop complications, and these complications take in how diabetes affects your eyes (retinopathy), heart (cardiovascular disease), kidneys (nephropathy), and nerves as well as feet (neuropathy),” he said, adding that the condition remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

Dr Karumbiswa also said that measuring glucose levels with special equipment can be evasive, painful and inconvenient for Mhlanga and other diabetic patients.

Fortunately, advances in wireless technology are bringing relief to diabetics as well as Zimbabweans diagnosed with other diseases.

“Increased access to communications technologies in this country has given rise to the concept of ‘mobile health,’ and we are embracing wireless technology to save lives, reduce illness and bring down healthcare costs,” said ZDA president, Dr John Mangwiro.

Dr Mangwiro, who is also a physician, added that the ZDA is working in conjunction with international technology firm, Cumii Health (Cumii), to introduce a dual blood sugar and blood pressure monitor which automatically sends information to doctors.

The new technology, he notes, connects the patient to the doctor and means that the patient’s diabetes and high blood pressure can be monitored more frequently.

“A recent study showed that introducing these devices improved outcomes for patients,” said Dr Mangwiro.

“We, thus, need to bring this to the people of Zimbabwe so that lives can be saved and diabetic people can receive the care they need at a cost they can also afford.

He added: “The device can also be used to screen other family members, like Mhlanga’s children, who may be at risk of diabetes and hypertension, and the information can then be sent to family doctors who can help, counsel and manage the newly-diagnosed.”

Information Technology (IT) expert, Stalyn Chingarandi, approves the dual blood sugar and blood pressure monitor, saying it can help people like Mhlanga to regularly test their blood sugar.

“Some people know their conditions, but do not seek medical treatment due to busy schedules, costs or distance from the clinics, like what Mhlanga said. Fortunately, technological innovations now enable a person with diabetes to regularly test their blood sugar and also be monitored by their doctor who can even be located in another town,” he said.

Chingarandi added: “In Kenya, according to studies, government health care workers are sending alerts when they run low on medications to avoid stock shortages. Since 96 percent of Zimbabweans have cellphone services, according to a recent report by Afrobarometer, a pan-African and non-partisan research network, it is noble for the government and other critical stakeholders to also send health alerts and save lives.”

Dr Karumbiswa applauds ZDA for working with Cumii in helping the country to fulfil provision of the country’s charter, especially the right to health care.

“Section 76 (1)(2) provides that citizens have the right to have access to basic health care services as well as the right to have access to basic health care services for the illness respectively.

“The ZDA, together with its partners, should, therefore, be applauded for embracing technology and effectively use it to monitor, control and manage diabetes and blood pressure of patients in the country,” he said.

Dr Karumbiswa also urged the Government to take note of Section 29 of the Constitution which affirms that the “State must take all practical measures to ensure the provision of basic, accessible and adequate health services throughout Zimbabwe”, and one sure way of ensuring this is working with other generous partners to build a network of healthcare practitioners, mobile operators and health care insurers all over the country to improve life for people like Mhlanga who are suffering from diabetes.

Dr Mangwiro says to fulfil section 29 of the Constitution, the Government should also immediately enact a statutory instrument making diagnosis and treatment of diabetics at State hospitals free.

“Diabetes is multiplying among Zimbabwe’s poor communities and this means there is serious need to heavily subsidise diagnosis and treatment; the government, consequently, should help us access the machinery to screen for diabetics, affordable drugs and maybe have an Act that can say diabetics have their medicine free as well,” he said.

Technological innovations, asserts Dr Mangwiro, are changing the landscape of disease prevention and control in most developing countries.

Zimbabwe, as one such country, should therefore take advantage of the widespread availability of wireless technology to help people like Mhlanga and others to monitor, control and manage their diabetes as well as to expand the use of e-health.