Publications

In recent years, Africa has witnessed a notable shift in its disease landscape from acuteinfectious conditions to chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes. The economicimpact of diabetes and its complications has become a significant concern, affectingindividuals, families, healthcare systems, and national economies through direct medicalcosts and productivity loss. Uganda, in particular, has observed a rising prevalence ofdiabetes, with the Uganda Diabetes Association reporting a 1.4% prevalence, accounting forapproximately 500,000 individuals affected. This surge in diabetes presents a dual challengeas both a public health issue and an economic burden, necessitating vigilant monitoring andstringent management. Recognizing its profound public health implications in terms ofmorbidity, mortality, and cost, a comprehensive investigation into the prevalence andcomplications of diabetes mellitus was conducted at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH).Using a retrospective facility-based cross-sectional study design encompassing qualitativeand quantitative approaches, this research reviewed 784 patient records admitted to JRRHfrom January 2018 to December 2018. The findings revealed a notably high prevalence ofdiabetes mellitus at 8.2%. Noteworthy gender disparities were observed, with a higherprevalence among males (12%) than females (6%) within the studied population. Moreover,urban dwellers exhibited a higher susceptibility to diabetes compared to rural counterparts,and the risk was observed to escalate with age. Complications associated with diabetesmellitus were alarmingly prevalent, reaching 89.23%, predominantly characterized bymicrovascular complications, accounting for 56.90%. Despite the severity of complications,the case fatality rate stood at 1.54%, lower than the documented 4%, possibly influenced bya spectrum of contributing factors both positive and negative. The study underscores theurgency for increased focus on diabetes care in Jinja, emphasizing the imperative for furtherresearch, robust health education initiatives, and enhanced funding allocation towardmanaging this escalating health concern.Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus, Diseases, Public Health, Complications, Males and Females.