Access to diabetes care for children and young people: Pharma companies' current actions and opportunities ahead

A recently released report from Access to Medicine Foundation highlights that children and young people living in low-and middle-income countries face gross inequities when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of type 1 diabetes.

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Without sustainable access to diabetes care, they are unable to manage this chronic condition, leading to severe outcomes that are entirely preventable. Excerpts from this report that sheds light on current efforts to address access challenges and practical solutions to ensure children and young people get the care they need

Children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) can survive and go on to lead long, healthy lives with the right care. Yet, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), far too many children and young people (CYP) are still dying from this manageable disease because they lack access to timely diagnosis and treatment.

In 2024 alone, an estimated 30,113 preventable deaths occurred in people under 19 years of age due to T1D, with nearly 40 per cent (11,352) in sub-Saharan Africa - the highest burden of any region. As T1D cases continue to rise among CYP, so does the urgency to make lifesaving insulin and other essential diabetes care products available where they are needed most.

In response to this pressing issue, dedicated initiatives have been established to provide diabetes care specifically for CYP. This report examines how Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi -three companies that are key players in global insulin production, including in LMICs - along with leading biosimilar insulin manufacturer, Biocon, back 11 such initiatives providing support to CYP living with T1D in LMICs. Collectively, these 11 initiatives operate in 71 LMICs in scope. However, they are largely sustained by donations and are reaching a limited number of CYP living with T1D in these countries through the provision of diabetes-related products.