Despite fiscal measures including a sugar tax, Mauritius faces a surging diabetes epidemic driven by lifestyle and societal factors, prompting calls for comprehensive behavioural change to turn the tide.
Mauritius is confronting one of the world’s heaviest diabetes burdens, with about one in five adults living with the disease, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The scale of the problem has kept rising despite years of fiscal intervention, including a sugar tax first introduced in 2013 and later widened and increased. In an opinion piece published by AllAfrica, the central argument is that taxing sugar alone cannot reverse a health crisis so deeply rooted in diet, lifestyles and inequality.
The International Diabetes Federation says roughly 218,000 Mauritians aged 20 to 79 are living with diabetes, placing the country among the most affected in the world. A separate government survey found that 19.9% of adults aged 25 to 74 had Type 2 diabetes, with men more likely to be affected than women and more than a quarter of cases newly diagnosed. That underlines a persistent problem with undetected illness, even as prevalence has climbed over time. The 2021 survey also showed that diabetes often travels with obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications.
The condition’s spread reflects broader changes in Mauritian society. Faster urban living, more processed food and less daily physical activity have all shifted risk upwards, while research cited in the article points to genetic susceptibility in some population groups. Type 2 diabetes now accounts for almost all adult cases in Mauritius, and its slow development can leave people unaware for years while damage accumulates in the eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. The article also notes that sugar itself is only part of the story: the real danger comes from excess calories, poor diet quality and inactivity, all of which encourage insulin resistance.
Mauritius has responded with a wider public-health strategy, not just a tax. The health system offers diabetes monitoring through regional hospitals and community clinics, alongside specialist services such as retinal screening, foot care and cardiac referral pathways. Under the 2026-2027 Budget, the excise duty on sugar-sweetened drinks rose from 12 to 15 cents per gram of sugar on June 20, 2026, and will extend to several processed foods from October 1, 2026. The government has also promised more health workers, additional training in diabetes care and funding for visiting specialists, in an effort to strengthen prevention as well as treatment.
Yet the article argues that the decisive test will be whether these measures change behaviour and outcomes. That means earlier screening, healthier food that is both available and affordable, more physical activity and stronger public education. Without that wider shift, the country is likely to keep paying the cost of a disease that affects not only hospitals and dialysis units, but families, incomes and long-term economic productivity.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
