Non-communicable diseases – heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer – are no longer just a rich-country problem. Across Africa, they are becoming the leading cause of death, driven in part by a simple and overlooked culprit: what people drink.
Globally, 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cardiovascular disease cases were attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 2020 alone, with the highest burdens falling on sub-Saharan Africa. A recent time-series study across nine African countries found that rising sugary drink sales between 2010 and 2024 were closely associated with increasing rates of type 2 diabetes, particularly in countries undergoing rapid urbanisation.
