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Insulin
Dependent
Diabetes
Trust
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Affordable accessible insulin for people in developing countries
People in developing countries are dying because of lack of insulin but the problem is not simply a lack of insulin supplies but a lack of affordable insulin. The cost of insulin for one person in a family can be as high as 50% of a family’s income and so adults and children are dying as a result of this high cost. In addition to the cost of insulin, there are also other needs that people have to pay for such as syringes, lancets, blood glucose and urine test strips. Diabetes is expensive to treat and as a chronic condition, this expense is for a lifetime.
The situation has been made worse by the increasing use of the more expensive synthetic ‘human’ insulins as opposed to the less expensive natural animal-derived insulins. So it is important that animal insulins remain available for people in developing countries because they are cheaper, more affordable and therefore will save more lives. The local production of insulin should also be encouraged to avoid the high costs charged by the large multi-national insulin manufacturers.
This case is highlighted by the case of a young girl with diabetes in the Philippines. The cheaper animal insulin that she was using, was discontinued and replaced with significantly more expensive ‘human’ insulin. There are several children in the family so forcing the parents had to choose between paying for insulin for one child or feeding all the other children. They had no choice but to feed the other children and were forced to let the little girl with diabetes die - all for lack of affordable insulin.
This choice is not one that people in developed countries can imagine ever having to make. So IDDT tries to help in two ways:
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Collection of insulin and other supplies
This programme has been developed through IDDT linking with INSULIN FOR LIFE [IFL], a not-for-profit organisation based in Australia, which collects unneeded, unopened insulin and test strips to send overseas as part of a humanitarian emergency insulin and supplies donation programme. Details of INSULIN FOR LIFE can be found by visiting their website
IDDT-UK collects in-date, unwanted insulin and any other diabetes supplies.
So look in your fridge! Maybe you have changed your insulin and have unwanted, unopened and in-date insulin in your fridge. If so, please put it in a jiffy bag and send to: IDDT, PO Box 294, Northampton NN14XS.
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Sponsor a child with diabetes
Dream Trust, a registered charity, is a diabetes clinic in Nagpur in India founded by consultant physician, Dr Sharad Pendsey and his wife for underprivileged children and young people with diabetes.
Dr Pendsey recounts the reasons for setting up Dream Trust:
“Sudha was 8years old and had just been diagnosed with diabetes. I counselled her parents and explained about insulin and its importance for survival. Sudha’s poor illiterate parents were very attentive and finally her father asked me, ‘Doctor, if I understand you correctly, does Sudha have to take insulin everyday for the rest of her life?
‘Well, she would go into a coma and if left unattended she would die’ I explained. He nodded calmly and had clearly understood everything I said and I was happy that my counselling had worked. I gave Sudha a pat on the head as she left the clinic with her parents. A month later I learnt that Sudha had died. Her father quite intentionally stopped giving her insulin, knowing very well what the result would be.
The logic of poverty had overpowered the logic of life.”
The average yearly income for a farmer is Rs.10000 [£144] but the cost of insulin per year for one child is between Rs.6000 and Rs.12000 and for many poor families insulin costs a quarter of the family income. For many poor families insulin is simply not affordable and their children die.
Unaffordable medical care is not the only difficulty facing Dream Trust's children and young people:
Social, cultural and economic factors in India lead to discrimination against girls with diabetes. Marriage of girls with diabetes is a serious problem and parents find it difficult to arrange marriages for their daughters.
Dream Trust helps:
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To date the Trust has arranged 10 marriages of girls with diabetes, all of whom are happily settled.
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The Trust is focussing on vocational training for young women in tailoring, telephone operations and nursing so that they are able to be financially self-reliant.
IDDT sends in-date, unwanted insulin to the Dream Trust and in 2002 IDDT launched 'Sponsor a child with diabetes'.
FOR AS LITTLE AS £2.00 A MONTH, YOU CAN HELP TOO!
The cost of insulin for one child is £17.00 per month. If just 9 people make bank standing order payments of £2.00 per month, a child's life saving insulin will be secure. All the administration costs are carried by IDDT, so ALL your contribution goes to the children at Dream Trust.
If you would like to help to sponsor a child, please contact:
Sponsor a Child with Diabetes,
c/o IDDT,
PO Box 294,
Northampton NN1 4XS
Tel 01604 622837 Fax 01604 622838
e-mail
beverley@iddtinternational.org
More information about Dream Trust can be found by visiting: www.dreamtrust.org