The Silent Crisis: Cardiometabolic Disease Burden in Kenya 🇰🇪

The Alliance for Cardiometabolic Health and Research – Kenya (ACMHR-K) is dedicated to addressing the growing public health threat of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the region. Kenya is undergoing a rapid epidemiological shift, where NCDs, particularly cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, are placing an immense and unsustainable strain on human capital and the health system. These statistics highlight the critical need for training, research, and policy intervention in cardiometabolic health:

Overall Non-Communicable Disease Burden in Kenya

  • Mortality: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 41% of all deaths in Kenya, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH). This highlights the rapid shift in disease burden toward chronic conditions.

  • Hospital Burden: NCDs make up over 50% of inpatient admissions and 40% of hospital deaths (MoH Policy Brief, 2018, citing STEPS 2015), showing the heavy load on healthcare services.

  • Cardiometabolic Diseases: Cardiometabolic conditions — including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, and obesity — are the leading cause of death in Kenya.

  • Diabetes alone places a major economic and public health burden on Kenya, costing an estimated $633 million in 2021 alone—about 60% of the national health budget

Project title: Understanding the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in five counties in Kenya: Early Life and Adult-Onset Triggers

Understanding the Prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes in Five Kenyan Counties: Early-Life and Adult-Onset Triggers

This pilot study aims to clarify the true burden of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Kenya by assessing its prevalence in five counties. We will investigate both early-life factors linked to childhood-onset T1D and the environmental and lifestyle triggers associated with adult-onset T1D (ages 25–60), which is often underdiagnosed.

Through community screenings, surveys, and medical record reviews, the study will:

  • Determine the prevalence and distribution of T1D in the selected counties

  • Identify early-life exposures that may increase childhood risk

  • Characterize adult-onset T1D and its potential triggers

  • Highlight gaps in diagnosis, awareness, and access to care

Findings from this pilot will guide future national surveillance efforts and inform strategies to improve early detection, prevention, and management of T1D in Kenya. We will provide the update on this program.

Official Source Links for Citation

For verification and further reading, these are the primary sources for the data used:

Primary Data Source: Kenya STEPwise Survey for NCD Risk Factors, 2015 (WHO/MoH)

Prevalence of Key Cardiometabolic Conditions in Kenyan Adults (Ages 18-69)

Kenya’s Mortality Burden: Breakdown by Three Major Cause Groups