The President of the Ghana Diabetes Association, Mrs Elizabeth Esi Denyoh has been elected Chairperson of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for the Africa Region.

Mrs Denyoh was elected at the end of the 2022 World Congress of the IDF held in Lisbon Portugal where she contested with three other candidates from Senegal, Mauritania and Uganda.

Mrs Denyoh takes over from Professor Jacque Abodo of La Cote’Ivoire being the first none medical doctor as the Chairperson of the IDF for the Africa Region from 2022-2026.

Speaking in an interview, Mrs Denyoh described her election as Africa’s representative on the global organisation as a “win for all Africa“ adding that she promised to unite the continent together towards the fight against diabetes which was a major cause of death in females in South Africa.

She assured to work with the African Union (AU) for governments to give waivers on taxes for diabetes consumables across the continent.

Mrs Denyoh disclosed that she would work with Food and Drug Authorities (FDA) and Ministries of Heath in Africa to ensure that unwholesome diabetes drugs were eradicated from the system so that “we have high-quality standard medicines for diabetes on the African market."

According to the IDF Chairperson for Africa, she would engage giant pharmaceutical manufacturers including Pfizer and Gloxosmithkline to produce diabetes treatment drugs, particularly Insulin on the continent.

As part of her vision for her four-year tenure, Mrs Denyoh said "I will endeavour to ensure that the continent was removed from over-dependence on donor funding for diabetes treatment to a system where “we can device mechanisms to become self-reliant in providing our own resources to treat our own citizens.”

Mrs Denyoh pledged to dialogue with all stakeholders to enhance diabetes treatment and bring hope to diabetes patients.

“I wish to use my election as a senior nurse to this great position as a victory and urge all Ghanaian nurses that there are more opportunities out there for nurses outside the hospital walls,” she concluded.

The International Diabetes Federation is an umbrella organisation of over 230 national diabetes associations in 170 countries and territories representing the interests of the growing number of people with diabetes and those at risk.

The Federation has been leading the global diabetes community since 1950.