Healthcare and Socio-economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Patients with Diabetes in Tanzania and Kenya

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People with type 2 diabetes are known to be at increased risk of complications and death from COVID-19, and yet their healthcare has been disrupted by the pandemic. This could lead to more indirect COVID-19 related deaths. Tanzania and Kenya are experiencing increases in the numbers of people with type 2 diabetes, and their ability to manage their condition during COVID-19 may be hampered through lack of access to support, economic hardship and health system challenges. In addition, increased vulnerability may prevent patients seeking treatment, and experiences for people living in urban and rural areas and in the two countries may differ. There is therefore an urgent need to understand how COVID-19 has affected the healthcare and socio-economic welfare of people with type 2 diabetes in Tanzania and Kenya to inform policy recommendations and health education messages to improve health and welfare for this vulnerable population during the pandemic. This project will provide this evidence by administering questionnaires and interviews to people with type 2 diabetes and through interviews to healthcare providers in urban and rural settings in each country. It will also identify the cost of type 2 diabetes to each country during COVID-19 and gaps in national policy and emergency planning responses. The findings will be shared with relevant stakeholders to allow them to input into the development of context-specific policy recommendations and health messages for each country.