Comparative Epidemiology and Machine and Deep Learning Diagnostics in Diabetes and Sickle Cell Disease: Africa’s Challenges, Global Non-Communicable Diseases Opportunities

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) pose significant challenges to global health systems, particularly in Africa, where the impact is specifically severe due to limited healthcare infrastructure and inadequate surveillance capacity. While both diseases differ in their pathologies, DM is primarily a metabolic condition, and SCD is a monogenic inherited disorder; however, both diseases intersect with socio-economic disparities and weak primary care systems, making them critical public health concerns. This study provides a comparative epidemiological analysis of DM and SCD, focusing on trends in prevalence, morbidity, comorbidities, management deficiencies, and mortality in African regions compared with high-income countries. It highlights the importance of early diagnosis, accessible screening programs, and effective patient management strategies to combat the threat of these NCDs. The research highlights how historical neglect, stigma, comorbidities, health risks, and chronic underfunding have worsened health outcomes in Africa. The study evaluates the potential of AI-driven diagnostics to enhance detection and management in healthcare, discussing how ML and DL models can utilize multimodal data to improve early risk stratification, newborn and antenatal screening, and detection of complications, and highlighting the role of these technologies in supporting triage and follow-up decision-making at the primary care level. It contrasts this with the more effective disease surveillance and management strategies observed in high-income nations. The study highlights the urgent need for customized health policies, public education initiatives, and community-based approaches to improve diagnosis and treatment. Ultimately, this research highlights the urgent need to address structural inequities such as limited healthcare funding and unequal access to medical resources in global responses to NCDs, while also recognizing Africa’s potential for intervention, prevention, and the establishment of sustainable disease management systems.

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