A BULAWAYO man has launched a safe haven for diabetes patients to advocate for improved care and better access to disease management tools.
Diabetes is a chronic disease.
It occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar.
People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, which is a major cause of death and disability.
Type 1 diabetes patient and founder of The Diabetes Diaries, Calvin Madula, said the solution lay in consistent, peer-led support gatherings rooted in empathy, shared experiences and open dialogue.
“Our conversations focused on the emotional realities of living with diabetes from navigating isolation and identity, to building confidence in daily management,” Madula said.
“We shared personal stories and spent time simply being in community, something many young people with diabetes rarely get to experience.”
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He said key issues that emerged during the launch of the safe haven on Saturday included isolation and lack of peer support, emotional burnout and fear of stigma and limited safe spaces.
“Many young people living with diabetes said they felt lonely in their journey, participants shared the difficulty of maintaining consistent self-care in the face of misunderstanding or judgement,” Madula said.
“There are very few platforms where young people can speak openly about life with a chronic condition without being medicalised or dismissed.”
He said the sessions included expert insights (in mental health, nutrition and endocrinology) always centred on the real, lived experiences of young people.
In 2021, Bulawayo recorded an increase in new diabetes cases, from 5 383 in 2020 to 6 873 in 2021, making it a growing public health concern.
The International Diabetes Federation says approximately 537 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes, a number expected to rise to 783 million by 2045.
