Diabetes Hits Acoli

My Ghanaian friend had a wonderful day at the beach with his family. He set off on the highway back where he veered off the road and crushed, killing himself and the rest of his family except a young daughter. He had a diabetic shock—a state of extreme low blood sugar.

Recently I read a story in one of Uganda’s dailies that said there has been a surge of diabetic cases in the Acoli region. This is in addition to the other negative statistics that are coming from the sub region. A reflective rabbi once asked himself: What is it about me that attract these negativities? In the same vein, what is it about the Acoli that allow the activities of two psychos in Museveni and Kony to land them in concentration camps, disrupting their core ways of life with devastating long-term consequences? Many would probably rise up in arms that such a question is an attempt at blaming the victim rather than the perp.

I am not a medical doctor. The information about diabetes is available out there for anyone curious and/or concerned. The basic information is that glucose, an end product of what we eat which is also produced by the liver, needs insulin to enter cells for brain function and energy for the body. Insulin is produced by the pancreatic gland which is located just behind the stomach. For some people body cells become resistant to the action of insulin even as the pancreas deteriorates and unable to produce enough insulin to overcome the accumulation of sugar in the blood stream. Early treatment usually begins with taking some medicine orally and combining it with diet selections and regular physical activities. Eventually the insulin will have to be supplied by regular self-injections. Without proper care other organs begin to fail leading to premature death.

The question one might ask is: why are Blacks and, Acoli in particular, more susceptible to diabetes? Increase in diabetes has also been noted in Southern Sudanese Acoli who have been relocated to the US from refugee camps in Uganda. Such predispositions, if any, can similarly be asked of the prevalence of stomach ulcers in people of western Uganda. There may be some genetic component to some of these maladies. Some other causes of diabetes include diet, obesity, virus infection, age, emotional stress and smoking.

Acoli of our fathers were generally tall and leanly sculpted. This was probably an adaptation to the paucity of food supply and/or the kinds of food that were eaten. Besides, the lives of an Acoli was often outdoors. A male child hanging around the kitchen instead of out playing was frowned at. While the default mode is to blame, may be it would help if one looks back in order to act skillfully now for a better future.