Too young for sugar sickness: The rise of diabetes among children in Ghana

In today’s competitive job market, many parents have to wake up early to prepare their children for school while also getting ready for work. After school, these children often have to wait for their parents, who may return home late, making it a tiring cycle for the young ones. Unfortunately, the eating habits of these families, especially for children, raise significant concerns.

Processed snacks, sugary drinks, sweetened milk, and “grab-and-go” foods have replaced traditional meals in many households. Items like biscuits, meat pies, boxed juice, and sugary cereals are now common, while healthier options like beans, kontomire, fish, and tubers are often overlooked. With parents working long hours, leaving home before dawn and returning late, cooking can feel impossible on busy mornings.

This leads to lunch bags filled with packaged snacks instead of home-cooked meals. Additionally, in our digital age, children are spending more time in front of screens and engaging in less physical activity. Fewer children walk to school, play outside, or do household chores; they often stay indoors due to safety concerns, traffic, and the allure of screen time.

The combination of less physical activity and poor eating habits contributes to weight gain, which increases the risk of diabetes. Unfortunately, by the time a blood test is conducted, blood sugar levels may be dangerously high. Untreated diabetes in childhood can lead to long-term complications affecting the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart as well as negatively impacting school performance and mental health.

This alarming trend should be a significant concern, particularly as Type 2 diabetes cases among children continue to surge. While Ghana does not currently have a national count of child diabetes cases, hospital and research data from the Ghana Health Service indicate an upward trend, especially for Type 2 diabetes among children. A study conducted in Kumasi by the Ghana Health Service involving 106 children and adolescents with newly diagnosed diabetes showed that 84.9% had Type 1 diabetes and 15.1% had Type 2.

Notably, Type 2 cases were predominantly female, aged 9 to 19 years, and Type 1 cases peaked at ages 12 to 13. The Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Society of Ghana has reported a rising number of Type 2 diabetes cases among children, yet diagnoses often come late, usually when severe complications o…