The prevalence of diabetes in Africa is at an estimated 7,7%, however, in most African countries, the majority of cases remain undetected, said Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

"If critical changes are not introduced soon, Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) will increase by a further 19% in developing countries by 2015. The greatest increases will be in Africa where it is anticipated NCDs will rise by 24%," Motsoaledi said, addressing the Diabetes Leadership Forum Africa 2010 held in Sandton on Thursday.

He said that NCDs currently account for 59% of global deaths and 46% of the global burden of disease. Eighty per cent of the burden occurs in low and middle income countries, he said.

"In low and middle income countries, eight-million people die prematurely annually from preventable causes. Currently more than 70% of people with diabetes live in low and middle income countries."

According to the Health Minister, people aged between 30 and 59 years in African countries and low and middle income countries die from NCDs at twice the rate of their counterparts in high income countries.

He said that the young age of death owing to NCDs was related to, among other causes, a high fat, low fruit and vegetable diet, and weak health systems.

"This is not a good picture, but it is evidence that we must all sit up, take note and take action."

Motsoaledi said that South Africa not only suffered from a high prevalence of communicable and noncommunicable diseases but from high rates of maternal, child health problems and from the impact of high levels of violence and injuries.

He described the suffering in the country as a "quadruple burden of disease".

He said that the graphs reflecting trends in morbidity, mortality and burden of disease in South Africa over the past decade show a rapid increase in the number of HIV/Aids deaths and the extent of the HIV/Aids burden.

"The lines for the other diseases tend to be relatively stable or to reflect decreases in prevalence.

"But what a cursory look at these graphs fail to reveal is that these trends usually reflect proportions of deaths or burden rather than actual numbers."

He said that in fact there were significant increases in other areas of health as well as HIV/Aids.