Words by GOLD newsdesk
The Access to Medicine Foundation has announced a commitment to supporting diabetes care in low- and middle-income countries in 2022.
Supported by funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the Foundation will run a programme of activities aimed at assessing current practice and identifying challenges and potential new solutions for companies with a pivotal presence in the insulin market to drive the uptake of good practice and expand access to diabetes care.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, tens of thousands of people with type 1 diabetes and more than 30 million with type 2 diabetes who require insulin do not have access to a reliable and affordable supply. In addition, three in four adults with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries.
“Too many people in low- and middle-income countries are last in line when it comes to life-saving diabetes treatments. The need to address these gaping disparities could not be more urgent nor more critical,” says Claudia Martínez, Research Programme Manager, who will lead the Foundation's work in this area. “By deepening our work on this chronic disease, we will develop a blueprint for future action and raise the bar for companies that can radically expand access to diabetes care.”
The initial focus will be on the human insulins, insulin analogs and insulin biosimilars, as well as glucagons, that are produced, supplied and made available by a core group of five companies: Biocon, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and Viatris.