Diabetes Control Media Advocacy Initiative (DICOMA) has expressed worry over the plight of Nigerians living with diabetes, saying a significant number can no longer control their condition because of the high cost of drugs and monitoring devices.
Marking the World Diabetes Day (WDD) with theme, “Access to Diabetes Care: If Not Now When?,” the group reiterated that diabetes care remains crucial. It called on the federal and state governments to seize the opportunity offered by WDD to introduce measures towards addressing the plight of Nigerians living with diabetes.
Its chairperson, Dr Afoke Isiavwe and director of communication, Mrs Yinka Shokunbi, in a release, stated: “People living with diabetes are among the worst hit by the current inflation in the country as many are unable to take their medications or follow necessary guidelines and routines to keep the disease in check.
“The COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant disruption it created, have also contributed negatively to this, as many breadwinners lost jobs with the economic downturn. The WDD no doubt offers a great opportunity to alert the government and public that the scourge of diabetes is attaining a dangerous dimension in the country as many people can no longer afford their medications and routines to effectively control their condition.
“Children living with diabetes most of whom must be on regular insulin injection are also badly affected by the situation as many parents either reduce doses or stop administering injections as the cost of insulin, a vital component of diabetes management, has risen by over 40 per cent in the last six months. A vial of insulin now costs between N6,000 and N12, 000 in different parts of the country.”
The group urged government at all level to introduce policy and measures to drastically reduce the cost of anti-diabetes drugs and devices through zero import tariff and encouragement of their local production, provide free or subsidised insulin for children and the elderly as well as implement some of the already existing policies and guidelines for the management of diabetes in Nigeria.
They added. “the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), DICOMA says while more than 463 million adults (1 in 11) are currently living with diabetes globally, the disease affects no fewer than 5 million Nigerians and like elsewhere in the world the number of cases is increasing very fast.
“Also, one in every two people with diabetes in the country is undiagnosed, which means that the current estimated number of cases could be double or even more. Nigeria must avoid this looming disaster and act fast to assist people currently living with the disease. Remember, a poorly controlled diabetes population epidemic equals diabetes complications epidemic.”
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