Ministry of Health says 7 percent of people in Malawi are living with diabetes and many of these remain undiagnosed until complications arise.
Chief of Health Services responsible for reforms in the Ministry of Health, Dr Martias Joshua, made the remarks in Lilongwe during the official opening of a National Diabetes Training Workshop.
Joshua called for sustained collaboration among governments, partners and the private sector in fighting diabetes.
World Heath Organisation Country Representative, Dr Neema Kimambo, said there are nearly 70 percent of global diabetes cases in low and middle income countries.
Kimambo added shortage of qualified healthcare professionals to support the prevention and diagnosis of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases is one of the challenges being faced.
Statistics indicate that over 400,000 deaths in Africa each year are due to diabetes.
