An A1C test allows doctors to examine glucose levels over a two-to three-month period and can be a useful tool in judging the effectiveness of a treatment plan. Diabetics used to depend only on urine tests or daily finger sticks to measure their blood sugars.
The formal economy of this region depends on agricultural exports. For example, Ethiopia is a major coffee exporter (80% of its total exports) and Somalia is a major banana and livestock exporter (roughly half of its total exports). The majority of the economy of the Horn of Africa is informal.
Pollution from shipping and oil terminals is also minimal at present, despite a large proportion of oil exports from the Gulf region passing through the coastal seas of eastern Africa. Serious oil spills have already occurred around Mombasa and Maputo, damaging nearby mangrove forests and beaches.