Record 44% Pre-Diabetic Rate Among Teens Triggers Urgent National Health Response

MAURITIUS is facing a “silent health crisis” among its youth, with nearly half of all adolescents now classified as pre-diabetic.

Official data revealed yesterday shows that 44% of Mauritians aged 12 to 19 are in a pre-diabetic state. According to 2022 figures from the World Health Organization, this represents one of the highest prevalence rates in the world.

Addressing school rectors and managers on Tuesday, 12 May, Yashma Ghoorah, acting administrator at the Ministry of Education’s Directorate of Health & Wellness, warned of a deepening emergency.

“If we do not act now, the burden on families, communities, and our healthcare system will only increase,” she stated.

Escalating Physical Risks

The crisis is further evidenced by a 2025 screening of over 26,000 secondary students. The findings were stark: 32 pupils were already diabetic, 501 were pre-diabetic, over 3,500 were obese, and 217 suffered from hypertension.

The trend appears to be accelerating; in 2017, 34% of students were overweight or obese—a significant jump from the levels recorded in 2011. Experts noted a paradoxical “fragility” in the population where undernutrition and obesity coexist.

Sedentary lifestyles are a primary driver of these statistics. Only 19.9% of students meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity, while 30.1% are classified as entirely inactive.

Effectively, eight out of ten students are not moving enough.

Mental Health Warnings

The report also highlighted a “tragic” and “invisible” mental health struggle.

Data from 2017 indicated that one in six students (16.6%) had seriously considered suicide in the previous year—a figure that has not improved since 2007.

“We have recently tragically lost precious young lives in our schools,” Ms Ghoorah said, noting that the greatest risks to children are often deeply buried until it is too late.

Economic and Educational Impact

The Ministry warned that these health indicators threaten the “resilience and efficiency” of the nation’s future workforce.

Officials stressed that habits formed in adolescence persist into adulthood, raising the long-term risk of heart disease, depression, and chronic illness.

National Response: School Health Clubs

In response, the Ministry of Education is formalising “School Health Clubs” across the island. Under a new structured framework, these clubs will be overseen by school heads and coordinated by teachers.

Key details of the initiative include:

• Funding: Eligible schools will receive a budget of MUR 5,000 for materials, sports equipment, and guest speakers.
• Scope: Clubs must focus on eight priority areas, including nutrition, mental health, and drug prevention.
• Timeline: Schools must submit budget proposals by the end of May, with implementation and final reporting scheduled between June and August.

The government intends for these clubs to provide a front-line defence against the rising tide of physical and mental health challenges facing the next generation.

Source: l’Express