Health authorities say early detection and adopting a healthy lifestyle, are key to managing diabetes.
The comment comes as World Diabetes Day is being commemorated today.
According to the University of Pretoria’s Diabetes Research Centre, more than 4 million South Africans are living with chronic illnesses.
Tygerberg Hospital says over the past six years, it averaged around 50 new diabetes patients a year.
Dr Marli Conradie-Smit says the majority of these patients have Type 2 diabetes.
Meanwhile, the health department is also seeing an increase in diabetes among children.
She adds that this has a huge impact on the health system…..
