RESEARCH ARTICLE ‘Change means sacrificing

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleBackground Evidence is now un-equivocal that type 2 diabetes is on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa [1]. A major shift in the health systems of low income countries is therefore ne-cessary, to integrate prevention for non-communicable diseases [2,3]. Personal lifestyle factors to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes have been known for decades [4-6]. They include: Healthy diets, physical activity and regular check-ups on health parameters (body weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, blood lipids, and adherence to therapy) [7,8]. Others are cessation of smoking and harmful alcohol intake [6]. Evidence shows that these measures are efficacious especially if targeted to high risk persons [9]. However, the bulk of this evidence is from high income countries. Results from some of the few pilots in sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon and Sout