Focusing on mental health in diabetes care

THE University of Pretoria (UP) will participate in the 2025 Diabetes Summit from November 11 to 13 at The Radisson, OR Tambo in Bredell. The event will explore ways to include mental health support in diabetes care.

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For millions of South Africans living with diabetes, the greatest challenge is not only managing blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol - it’s coping with the emotional and psychological toll of the disease. Salih Hendricks has lived with diabetes for more than four decades and knows this reality all too well. He has endured severe complications, including amputation and stroke.

“Diabetes is not just medical — it’s emotional, social and psychological,” he says. “The body carries the illness, but the mind and soul carry the weight.”