Mzwandile Thokoane of Berea, Ha Ramonaheng, got the shock of his life recently after a test revealed he had dangerously high sugar levels following a weekend getaway with his family.
The 42-year-old physical planner was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2021, during activities leading up to World Diabetes Day celebrated globally every year on November 14to raise awareness about diabetes and its management, prevention, and impact.
Thokoane said at the time, the District Health Management Team in Berea was conducting public awareness campaigns and encouraging community members to get tested. He decided to take the plunge, motivated by a strong family history.
“My father had diabetes, my grandparents on my father’s side had it, and even my aunts. I knew it was in my family, so I went to the clinic out of curiosity,” Thokoane recalled.
His initial test showed extremely high sugar levels, and a pharmacist instructed him to go to the Berea hospital, where the results were confirmed. He was put on a drip and later admitted for monitoring.
“That’s when I was diagnosed,” he noted.
Since then, he has been injecting insulin twice daily and has adjusted his eating habits, switching to brown rice, yellow maize meal and cutting out fizzy drinks.
Although Thokoane receives free insulin from a government hospital, the cost of recommended foods remains a challenge.
Recently, Thokoane travelled with his family to Mokhotlong, where he indulged in carbonated drinks and various foods. On his return, he developed a condition not related to diabetes and called a doctor.
“When the doctor arrived, I saw immediately that my diabetes levels were high,” he said.
He credited his worsening condition to his diet during the trip.
Thokoane, a father of three, said his experience should serve as a warning to those who may be at risk but have not yet been tested.
“Luckily, I do not show symptoms even when my sugar is high,” he indicated.
However, for Motsamai Mokoto symptoms were visible. He vividly remembers experiencing blurred vision while driving from Botha-Bothe to Maseru in 2024. He later discovered he has the same condition.
“I now always to have my spectacles on, and my eyesight is deteriorating,” he told this publication in an interview recently.
According to experts, diabetes is a group of diseases characterised by high blood sugar levels, caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body not using it effectively.
This can lead to serious health problems over time, including heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney disease. Common types include Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes, which can sometimes be managed or prevented through lifestyle changes like healthy eating and exercise.
Common symptoms include excessive thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination and unusually sweet or sticky urine. Fatigue at the workplace is also a frequent sign when sugar levels are high.
Mokoto who is also the president of Diabetes Association Lesotho (DAL) explained that some people unknowingly live with diabetes for years because screening often occurs only when patients visit clinics for hypertension.
“It’s (diabetes) usually there, just not detected,” he said.
DAL is advocating for comprehensive screening to ensure diabetes is not overlooked.
The theme for the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) World Diabetes Day 2025 is “Diabetes and Well-being, while the slogan is “Know more and do more for diabetes at work“, highlighting the importance of supportive work environments.
DAL also prioritises workplace awareness.
DAL currently has between 500 and 600 registered members, some of whom face serious complications such as amputations and blindness, Mokoto said.
According to Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, the continent is facing an unprecedented rise in diabetes, driven by a complex interplay of changing lifestyles, rising overweight and obesity, and limited access to preventive and primary health services.
The scale and speed of this trend demand urgent and sustained action, he warned.
“Diabetes spares no one. It affects children, adolescents, adults and older people, with each life stage presenting distinct challenges that require tailored responses. Prevention and care must extend across the entire life course,” Dr Janabi indicated.
In the WHO African Region, more than 24 million adults aged between 20 and 79 are living with diabetes. This number is projected to more than double, to 60 million, by 2050. Nearly half remain undiagnosed, silently facing escalating risks of severe complications, disability and premature death. Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves, profoundly affecting individuals, families and communities.
Dr Janabi warned that unless reversed, this trajectory will overwhelm health systems, strain economies and erode hard-won development gains.
He said health systems must therefore be resilient, adequately resourced and organised to deliver continuous care: from prevention and early diagnosis to effective treatment and life-long support.
Reports from IDF indicate that diabetes is a significant health issue in Lesotho, with an estimated prevalence of 3.9 percent in adults in 2021, or about 48,400 cases nationally.
Contributing factors include malnutrition and sudden dietary changes often linked to poverty, along with a rising number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, which are increasing the burden on the health system.
In response, organisations like Partners In Health and SolidarMed are working to provide care, improve screening, and educate patients and community health workers to better manage the condition.
To address the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs), the Ministry of Health, supported by WHO, NCDI Poverty Network, and other partners, in September this year launched a National Multi-sectoral NCDIs Coordinating Mechanism.
The high-level event brought together key stakeholders from across sectors, marking a significant milestone in Lesotho’s commitment to strengthening its response to NCDIs.
This newly established mechanism aims to foster collaboration, shared responsibility, and ensure coordinated action among government ministries, civil society, development partners, and the private sector. It will serve as a platform to align efforts and drive impactful interventions across sectors.
Globally, NCDs are the leading cause of death and disability, accounting for over 70 percent of all deaths. These chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and mental health disorders, are primarily driven by preventable risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and air pollution.
Lesotho faces a dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, with NCDs responsible for approximately 45 percent of all deaths in 2019. The most prevalent conditions include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and injuries. Other significant NCDIs include mental health disorders, chronic respiratory illnesses, and sensory impairments such as vision and hearing loss.
