Experts decry diabetes drugs cost as patients reach 14m

Medical experts have decried the skyrocketing cost and unavailability of diabetes medications in the country.

This was even as they said the number of diabetic patients has increased to about 14 million.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, on Thursday, warned that the number of people living with diabetes in the African region is projected to rise to 54 million by 2045.

This marks the highest predicted increase globally if urgent action is not taken.

November 14 is World Diabetes Day, and this year’s theme is “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps.”

Speaking with our correspondent, Consultant Physician and Diabetologist and first Vice President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Dr Mansur Ramalan, lamented the high cost and unavailability of diabetes drugs.

“Diabetic patients are suffering both high costs of drugs and the unavailability because three of those companies marketing these drugs have left the country, including Sanofi Aventis which is majorly producing insulin.

“These drugs have been sold to what they call third parties because the people who are marketing them are no longer doing that in Nigeria.

“So once they go to third parties, the prices will naturally increase. Secondly, because of the problems of the exchange rate, the prices have skyrocketed.

“So, there’s a problem of affordability, there’s a problem of availability and accessibility. These are the challenges now,” he stated.

The expert noted that the government needed to address the issues of diabetes to reduce the pain of the patients.

“The association wrote to the government this year about the cost of drugs, but nothing was done about it.

“Last week, we heard that there are free caesarean sections for women, so if they could do that for them, they can also address our concerns.

“Currently, we have about four to six per cent prevalence in Nigeria. We are projecting about 12 to 14 million Nigerians living with diabetes.

“It’s increasing every year. The 1991 survey showed about 2.4 per cent, but now, we are dealing with about 5.7 to six per cent,” he added.

Corroborating, a professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin and former National Chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, Tanimola Akande, described diabetes as a chronic non-communicable disease with high prevalence and burden in Nigeria.

“World Diabetes Day is an opportunity to raise awareness on diabetes and provide opportunities for screening of the populace on diabetes.

“It also allows government and other stakeholders to prioritise activities and programmes that address prevention and control of diabetes,” he said.

On her part, Moeti said, “In the WHO African Region alone, more than 24 million adults are currently living with diabetes, half of whom remain undiagnosed.

“Left untreated, diabetes can lead to complications such as heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, kidney failure, lower-limb amputation, and eye disease that can result in blindness.

“Without urgent interventions, predictions are that the number of people living with diabetes in the African Region will rise to 54 million by 2045, the highest projected increase globally. “This poses a significant dual health and economic burden, including catastrophic spending by individuals to control their disease.

“Compounding the challenge is that Africa has the lowest investment rate in diabetes care worldwide, at only one per cent of the region’s health expenditure.

“Health systems are also traditionally designed to deal with acute, infectious diseases, without sufficient attention paid to chronic diseases like diabetes.”

She emphasised that managing diabetes requires a sustained effort to balance physical health activity, healthy diet, and mental well-being, and WHO in the African Region is committed to holistic solutions, including proper nutrition, access to the requisite essential medicines, and mental health support.

She said it was important to address risk factors, including obesity, poor diet and activity, combined with community engagement to ensure good support systems and reduced stigma.

“In an important step forward at the 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in August this year, African member states endorsed WHO’s Framework for the Implementation of the Global Diabetes Compact in Africa.

“Focused specifically on the challenge of integrating diabetes care into broader health systems in a multi-sectoral approach, it provides a roadmap for countries to strengthen diabetes prevention, diagnosis and care, especially at the primary health care level.

“On World Diabetes Day today, I urge individuals, communities, governments, health workers, policymakers and civil society organisations to join hands and act now.

“For individuals, prioritise healthy lifestyle, and if you’re already living with diabetes, have regular medical check-ups.

“Communities can play their role by creating supportive environments that promote healthy living, reduce stigma, and provide access to affordable diabetes care and education.

“For governments, we commit our full support to your efforts to implement policies that enhance access to essential medicines, strengthen primary health care systems, and foreground investment in diabetes prevention and care,” she highlighted.

Moeti concluded that strengthening diabetes control in the African region demanded addressing key gaps, including myths and misconceptions about the disease, fragile primary health care systems and insufficient capacity and training of health care workers.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, Dr Olatunde Alabi, also stressed the need to educate the people on their diabetes status.

Speaking on Thursday during a sensitisation and screening campaign on diabetes, organised by FTHLokoja, in collaboration with the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, he stressed the need for government and relevant stakeholders to raise awareness campaigns on early detection, saying “prevention is better than cure.”

The CMD advised that people should go for diabetes screening at least twice a year, and engage in regular exercise and proper diet.

He added that there was no cure for diabetes yet, though he agreed there were ways to stay healthy and reduce the risk of complications.

A Consultant Endocrinologist at FTHLokoja, Dr Olorunfemi Adebayo, urged the government to address the rising issue of fake diabetic drugs in the country.

According to him, the rising issue of fake diabetic drugs remained a concern, adding that governments needed to address it because counterfeit products could be detrimental to people’s health.

The endocrinologist urged the people to come for regular screening for early detection, noting that many people would have diabetes for years before they showed symptoms.

“By the time they are diagnosed, some people already have eye, kidney, blood vessels, gum or nerve damage, caused by diabetes, which can increase the risk of heart and kidney failure, stroke, foot ulcers, limb amputation, among others.

“The earlier you know you have diabetes, the sooner you can make these important lifestyle changes.

“If you exercise, watch your diet, control your weight and take the prescribed medicine by your doctor, you can make a big difference in reducing or preventing the damage the diabetes can do,” he said.

He urged people with diabetes to eat lots of fruits and vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, grain foods, green beans, non-fat dairy, and regular exercise, among others.

The residents appreciated the management of FTHLokoja for the screening exercise.

A 75-year-old diabetic patient, Mallam Usman Adamu, commended the hospital for the initiative and appealed to the government to subsidise the drugs for them.