Diabetes in Kenya: Is There A Niche Business Here?
I was listening to a BBC report last night and they were interviewing some people in Kenya about the growing diabetes crisis. The BBC reporter attributed the rise in diabetes cases directly to unhealthy lifestyle choices. However, I once asked a diabetes doctor in Kenya why so many people were suffering from this illness and she said that while unhealthy lifestyle choices definitely have something to do with it, she has come to believe that they may also be a genetic component to the disease, particularly in Kenya.
Anyway, the report mentioned that the cases of diabetes in Kenya stood at about 3.5%, but I think it’s a lot higher than that and this is where the niche business idea comes in, but first, a little background information.
I have three relatives who have diabetes and they’re at the point where they have to inject themselves with insulin shots. They’re continually asking me to send them packets of sugarless sweeteners (they can’t do without their morning tea and they must have it with sugar). So, I asked them if these sugarless sweeteners were available in Kenya and they said yes, but they’re very expensive.
They also said that whenever they came to the states, they liked the idea that they had a much wider array of sugar-less food items, which they couldn’t find in Kenya (jams, juices, breads, cakes, etc, etc) — and they suggested that if one were to start a business in Kenya that catered exclusively to diabetics they would really do well (there is demand for these sugar-less products).
What do you think? would it work? are Uchumi and Nakumatt addressing this niche group with their products?
In theory, this idea sounds easy, but I’m assuming, you’d need a lot of capital to bring it to fruition. Then of course, all the other issues that you’d have to consider, like:
Is this a good idea or not?
About the Diabetes crisis.. Very true. And it’s not just about poor lifestyle choices either. I’m an intern in Thika, and the number of diabetics we see is amazing.
Personally i believe there’s a very strong genetic component to it, especially for persons that hail from Central Kenya.
The business angle of this? I think it’s brilliant. It would definitely float, probably take off in a few short months, subject to tonnes of cash to advertise, and get your product into the big shops.
Love the blog by the way.
Laterz,
tHE mEDiCinEmAn
Yes making coffins and you can diversify into other diseases too.
Kinoo
I know you like to crack jokes and sometimes they’re actually very funny, but sometimes, people might be looking for serious, tangible ideas, which they can implement, not jokes.
medicineman:
Thanks for your compliment and keep posting your comments, especially on any ideas about healthcare related businesses in Kenya, which you seem to have some experience with.
Question: Are Uchumi and Nakumatt exploiting this health niche? Also, I think it would probably be better to do it as a stand alone store. A total niche store.
This is a potentially great idea KE. I think the biggest challenge would be making these diabetic friendly products affordable and also creating an effective advertising campaign together w/ a public health ed. program.
@tHE mEDiCinEmAn – are the diabetes patients you see med. and lifestyle changes compliant?
@KE – lighten up and leave Kinoo alone:-)
KE – There was no joke intended. Business is a cut throat affair. You asked the question, I answered. Diabetes has no cure eventhough you can live a normal life sytle. I just looked outside the box. I would still open a fancy coffin business. And while i’m at it, start cremetions services too.
Kinoo:
Okay. It’s all good. People are always dying, so they’ll always bee a need for funeral services.
KE – Nope, i don’t think the big supermarkets are exploiting the opportunity, but i’ve seen a few sugar free sweeteners, but with no particular focus on diabetics.
I thought about it, and i realised that it might be more successful if the products are sold in pharmacies, as opposed to shops. This way, they are given more medical relevance, and doctors can then encourage their patients to get them from there as they buy their medications.
I’ll keep the ideas on the healthcare business coming. Very lucrative by the way, especially in an economy that is growing as fast as ours.
@Kinoo – No joke but still funny. Yeah, there’s lots of business there too. Thought of a funeral home? There aren’t too many of those in Nairobi, or Kenya for that matter.
@Ciiku – Some of the patients do modify their lifestyle activities, most don’t. I’ve admitted very many patients with diabetic comas, and once they recover conciousness, they tell you they’ve not taken their meds for the last week or 2 !
tHE mEDiCinEmAn
medman:
Interesting comments. Is the reason they’re not taking their meds related to them not having enough money to buy them in the first place?
The reason I thought of a specialty store was because I’ve seen their growth here and they seem to have done quite well (although this is a different, richer, market) For example, you have stores that sell just organic foods, or a store called Trader Joe;s (you can google it) that sells high-end quality food items which you can’t find in other stores.
Of course, you could use the stores to sell other health related items like stationary bicyles, which people can use to exercise while at home.
Kinoo:
I guess your idea on funeral homes is a good one (start like a franchise of homes and spread them across kenya)
Hi,
Just my two cents on this. am a pharmacist in nairobi and find it hard to get diabetics onto sweeteners-even those who can afford. i think most still dont think it can improve their condition considerably.some intense focussed marketing has to be done to change perceptions and educate.
cheers.
Edwin:
That’s astounding because I thought that if you did in fact take in sugar, you could go into a diabetic shock (which would be life threatening) – is this true or not?
However, even in America, the move towards diet and exercising didn’t take off until the government recognized the obesity crisis and started pointing out it’s dangers)
I’ve always wondered why, in a city with such beautiful weather as Nairobi, there aren’t more walking paths or even bike paths (maybe I’m too westernized, but given a choice, I’d rather walk or ride my bike to work, especially in the morning – it’s very relaxing and it’s good for you)
Very nice post. As it turns out, I would agree KE that DNA in Kenya may be a cause. Also, not to downplay the dna piece (it runs in my family too-which believe it or not also traces back to the Kenya region of E.A.) but I might also add that starchy foods-like the white ougali might also play a part in the high number of diabetes patients in the country. Whenever my wife wants to make ougali, I always ask her to use the wheat flour instead of the white one.
As for the business side of it, I agree it has potential. But again, as the pharmacist said major PR re: preventative health and living with diabetes might be a pre-requisite.
Oh, one more thing, KE. I would say that the opportunity might be in the marketing and promotion of companies that produce those types of products in Kenya. If you could locate the producers of such products in Kenya and focus primarily upon the marketing or educating about the necessity for the products, then I believe that you’d find your self sitting on top of a gigantic wave.
Benin:
The DNA component, which doctors think is present in most kikuyu’s shouldn’t be linked to ugali eating per se. Ugali is not a stable diet of the kikuyu (they’re stable diet would really be a combination of boiled potatoes and beans)
However, an anthropological explanation might be that Kikuyu’s tend to have more wealth than others and thus, they are more likely to spend money on more fattening and expensive foods like fried chicken, nyama choma or beer. Also, with money, you can hire manual laborers to do work for you and this will make you less active. This may be a reason why kikuyu’s have a higher propensity for diabetes as opposed to other tribes in kenya), but i’m not a doctor and that would just be a guess.
Kenya is not a manufacturing country. And many of these sugarless items take quite a bit of scientific knowledge to produce, especially if you are thinking of doing it on a large scale, so that would not be an option in kenya (you would have to import the goods and plead for a tax break from a sympathetic government by telling them it’s a national crisis)
medicineman&the pharmacist;
has anyone (including Min.Of.Health) ever published any statistics/data to do with diabeties in kenya? if they have it’d be a good way to guage the potential market for specialty stores or treatments.
KE;
i too would go for the anthropological explanation.
just what:
The BBC report said 3.5% of the population has it, but i’m not sure how accurate that is.
I want to know how many of those 3.5% would be able to afford the sugarless items? those import taxes in kenya just push up the price of consumer goods.
when is kenya going to make it’s tax policies more user friendly?
if the bbc doesnt have a certified source, their estimate amounts to guess-intelligence.
i figure only 1% of that 3.5% would afford the sugarless items.
if the govt wasn’t so predatory, it’d license a local firm to manufacture the drugs, give it a 25 year supply contract to all public health institutions, and kick it into the stock-exchange asap.
but maybe such ideas are best left to all the genius kenyan bloggers, not disturbing the minds at afya house and state house.
Yeah, diabetes just like all other upcoming diseases has reached an epidemic level. I feel the 3.5% prevalence is an underestimation as there are thousands of Kenyans who do not actually go for medical check ups are walking around with disease. But the good thing is that over 80% of diabetes can be prevented through cheap means – taking low carbohydrate diet, low sugar diet, low fat, low salt and exercising to keep our weights under control. People just need to eat more fruits and vegetables to live healthy. It is not an issue of taste, it is quality of life in terms of health. Does it cost anything to stop smoking and also stopping taking alcohol? Say NO to all the junk foods in our supermarkets. Catching some of these diseases is a personal choice – lifestyle and some genetics and environmental association.
Hello, well regarding the post I do know of a company coming up with a sweetner as opposed to sugar, its locally manufactured, and look pretty nice, I shall give more details as an when I get some!!
Just a comment:
Thanks and look forward to learning about this company.
i have been trying to get some information about diabetes in kenya and i cant seem to find any.Is diabetes an epidermic in kenya or just that people are not aware of it?
Hey!This is a God send (the blog).I was on internship in Nyeri and it was a song played everyday like on Kiss fm (no pun intended)The cases were too many,the numbers too high!!I’d love to know though,why central Kenya as one of the bloggers commented?And why aren’t there newer blogs and updates on this site?Pliz reply Mr. enterpreneur.