South Africa has launched its first national diabetes dashboard to help health workers have real-time information on how well patients with diabetes are being managed in public health facilities.
This comes after growing calls from civil society for urgent, co-ordinated action to address diabetes that is now widely recognised as a national health crisis.
According to a statement by the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), the diabetes data was collected manually and shared in monthly Excel reports and often caused delays in finding patients who needed urgent care.
“For the first time, the dashboard provides a near-real-time, nationwide view of diabetes control, using NHLS laboratory data refreshed within 48 hours,” the statement said.
“This enables clinicians and programme managers to identify high-risk patients earlier, monitor and control, and intervene more rapidly to prevent complication.”
The NHLS is in partnership with the Gauteng department of health and the Wits Diagnostic Innovation Hub.
NHLS CEO Prof Koleka Mlisana said the system will help improve patient care. “This platform changes how we use laboratory data. It helps health workers act faster and improve patient outcomes,” she said.
“The new dashboard updates laboratory results within 48 hours. This means doctors and nurses can now see patient information much faster and act sooner when treatment is needed.”
She said the dashboard would also help health managers see which areas were struggling most with diabetes control. “This can help government plan better and send support where it is needed.”
The NHLS said the initiative supported South Africa’s National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2022–2027), which aims to ensure that at least 50% of people receiving treatment for diabetes have their condition properly controlled.
TimesLIVE
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