War on 'invisible disability'

DIABETES: CLARION CALL FOR AFFORDABLE TREATMENT, ACCESS TO INSULIN PENS

- Thando Nondywana

Millions of people living with diabetes in South Africa and other low-income countries face rising treatment costs and limited access to insulin pens.

The rising cost of diabetes management sparked protests against global pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk as the world marked Diabetes Day yesterday.

A collective of civil society organisations led by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are calling for the continuation of human insulin production pens and calling insulin manufacturers to make insulin pen injection devices more affordable.

Novo Nordisk recently notified an international humanitarian aid organisation and other stakeholders that it would soon discontinue the production of human insulin pens.