After sadly losing her aunt to diabetes, Masedikwe Evelyn Thsehla decided to research the effect of this illness on the South African economy. She was awarded her PhD in Economics for this important research on 26 April 2021.
In 2016, diabetes was the second leading cause of death in South Africa, second only to tuberculosis. According to the World Health Organization, aprroximately 9,8% of South Africans suffer from diabetes, and the prevalence rate is expected to rise to 30% by the year 2030. “Diabetes is a silent killer; many people suffer from it without knowing. Many of us know someone with diabetes and have lost a loved one due to diabetes. I am one of those, I lost my aunt in 2019 after suffering from diabetes for many years,” Thsehla explains.
During her research, she found that the majority of individuals with diabetes are less than 64 years of age, with the highest incidences (54%) reported between the ages of 35 and 54 years – the most economically active population in most countries, including South Africa. Furthermore, the International diabetes federation (IDF) estimates that approximately 7% of total health expenditure was used for diabetes care amongst adults aged 20 to 79 in 2010.
“I wanted to see what the effects of diabetes and the sugar-sweetened beverage tax, which was introduced to reduce obesity – a risk factor for diabetes – will be on the economy of South Africa.”
Her research concluded that diabetes does indeed have a negative effect on the economy. “Individuals with diabetes are less likely to be employed than individuals without diabetes. With less people employed, productivity decreases, resulting in a decrease of the gross domestic product,” she says.
In the short run, the sugar-sweetened beverage tax has a negative impact on the economy. However, the effect is reversed in the long run, when one assumes that the tax will reduce the number of people with diabetes, she adds.
The need to provide evidence for policy making kept Thsehla going during her research. “My role as a researcher is to provide evidence to support decision making. Given that diabetes is preventable, I saw a need to show the economic impact of diabetes and the impact of preventative strategies.”
As South Africa has few health economics researchers, Thsehla wants to mentor more young researchers in future and help the country build more capacity in this field.
Virtual Campus
Get Social With Us
Download the UP Mobile App