EPISODE 3: WHY DIABETES CAUSES AMPUTATIONS EVERY 30 SECONDS
Think amputation is rare? Think again.
New global statistics offer a chilling perspective on the reach of diabetes. International health bodies report that: Every 5 seconds, someone develops diabetes, while every 10 seconds, someone dies from the disease and every 30 seconds, a limb is amputated due to diabetes-related complications.
These numbers underscore a global emergency— and Nigeria is not exempted.
Director of the Health Insurance Scheme at the State Specialist Hospital, Ondo, Dr. Olubusayo Modupe, noted that neuropathy— nerve damage caused by prolonged high blood sugar— prevents patients from feeling pain. This means wounds are often ignored until infections spread rapidly.
“Most diabetic patients don’t know they have wounds on their feet,” Dr. Modupe explained. “By the time they notice the smell or swelling, gangrene may have set in.”
EPISODE 2: SPIRITUAL ATTACK OR DIABETES? WHY NIGERIANS MISDIAGNOSE THEMSELVES
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Patients like Baba Kudi are especially vulnerable. With limited awareness and late diagnosis, many discover the disease only after severe complications occur.
Diabetes, once considered rare, is now responsible for thousands of amputations annually across Africa.
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