New petition calls for urgent action to improve diabetes care for children in South Africa

IMAGINE being a child who has to prick their fingers multiple times a day, every day, to manage a life-threatening condition.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

Now imagine that child waking up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat because their blood sugar has dropped dangerously low or worse, being rushed to the hospital because their glucose levels have skyrocketed. For the thousands of children in South Africa living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), this is a daily reality.

A new petition launched by SA Diabetes Advocacy, in partnership with several national diabetes organisations, is calling on the National Department of Health (NDoH) to step in.

The campaign urges the government to prioritise access to Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) for all children under the age of 18 living with T1D. The goal is to make life-saving technology available to the most vulnerable members of society and ensure no child is left behind when it comes to managing their condition.

The daily struggles of living with T1D are no small task. It requires children to monitor their blood sugar levels constantly and inject insulin multiple times a day. Every meal, snack, or even physical activity requires careful calculation to avoid blood sugar spikes or drops. For children, this burden is especially heavy.