n South African Medical Journal - Ambulatory care of paediatric and adolescent diabetic patients in the Western Cape : correspondence

Abstract

To the Editor: It has been proposed that routine care of paediatric and adolescent patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in the Western Cape should be devolved from centres of excellence to centres at secondary or even primary level. Experience with adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in another African country is cited to support this notion. However, these two conditions have completely different aetiologies. While T2DM is entirely preventable and treatable by simple measures, this is not the case with T1DM.