Mauritius reduces type 2 diabetes prevalence through public health policy

Mauritius has recorded a sustained decrease in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes over several years.

A study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology shows that the rate of the disease fell by 11% among men and 16% among women between 2009 and 2021. This trend marks the first time a country has achieved a lasting decline in the condition. Health authorities in Mauritius implemented several strategies to achieve this result.

The government increased public awareness campaigns and screening programs in schools and workplaces. Dr. Mohammad Yaasir Ozeer, an endocrinologist at the Ministry of Health, says these efforts reach between 40,000 and 50,000 people every year. The state also provided free public health services and ensured that medical centers remained within a 5 kilometer radius of residents. The country also invested in specialized medical staff. In 2012, the government began training a large number of specialized nurses to manage diabetes care.

These efforts allowed patients at facilities like Jeetoo Hospital in Port-Louis to receive specialized monitoring, eye and foot consultations, and nutritional advice. Despite the decline, Dr. Ozeer notes that one in five adults in Mauritius still lives with diabetes. Officials now plan to build clinics for prediabetes in every region to continue the progress.