Diabetes Education, Information, NGDOC News, Uncategorized

AFFORDABLE MEDICINE – INSULIN4ALL

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These were the words from my mouth as i sit as a panelist in the Insulin4all panel of The Affordable Medicines Now Conference in Washignton D.C.

The Affordable Medicines Now is a training conference designed to build skills, knowledge and community among the activists (advocates) who power the movement for affordable medicines at the state, federal and international levels.

Hosted by O’NEILL INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL AND GLOBAL HEALTH LAW and PUBLICCITIZEN with partnership from various local and international orgaisations; the objective was clear “Medications must be affordable” and its absolutely essential for us all to hold all stakeholders responsible.

From Rep Ro Khanna to Rep Peter Welch to Senators Cory Booker, Tina Schakowsky the messages were clear:

Medical innovations are from universities, public institutes of health (supported with tax payers money); while most of the medical innovators are not after the billions, their innovations are branded by MBA guys and profiteered.
Prescription drugs should be affordable.
The loopholes in governance that allows massive profiteering must be blocked and congress and governments must work in unison to ensure affordable health is for all.

In the midst of the well organized, highly educative meetup is my meeting Ola Ojewunmi a nigerian american disabled activist, founder @ProjectASCEND,cancer and 2 organ transplant survivor who spoke on the intersectionality (I was awed at the strength and resilience of Ola and i believe a lot of african feminist have a lot to learn from her view on intersectionality)

INSULIN4ALL AND HOW IT AFFECTS AFRICA

Africa although experiencing significant economic changes faces an epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including diabetes.

Some 425 million people worldwide, or 8.8% of adults 20-79 years, are estimated to have diabetes.
About 79% live in low and middle income countries. The number of people with diabetes increases to 451 million if the age is expanded to 18-99 years.

In Africa, an estimated 15.5 (9.8-27.8) million adults aged 20-79 years have diabetes, representing a regional prevalence of 2.1 (6%).

Africa also has the highest proportion of undiagnosed diabetes; over two-thirds (69.2%) of people with diabetes are unaware they have the disease and almost a third of them need insulin – both insulin-dependent type 1 children living with diabetes and people living with type 2 diabetes who need to take insulin.

An estimated 50,600 children and adolescents under the age of 20 are living with type 1 diabetes with nigeria being the 9th largest country with children living with diabetes worldwide.

INSULIN PRICING AND ITS TOLL ON AFRICA

Availability of insulin:

The inconvenience and additional travel costs as a result of unavailability of insulin in some localities will definitely lead to disrupted treatment and eventual poor management of blood glucose and eventually lead to complications.

Affordability of insulin

The pricing cost of insulin is high which makes it unaffordable.
In Nigeria, for instance it costs about 12usd to get a vial of insulin which may look relatively cheap as compared to a country like The United State of America; however for a country like nigeria where 92.1% live in poverty this is equivalent to a 10 working day wages.

Policy implications

The out of pocket cost of hospital visits, insulin and other consumables makes it difficult for People living with diabetes to maintain their blood glucose and also visit hospitals regularly for checkups.

Lack of healthcare workers and facilities factor in the lack of adequate care for example in countries like uganda, sierra leon,the gambia to mention a few.

Only 11 countries of the 58 countries in africa has universal health coverage.

Religion and Culture

A major issue affecting diabetes care especially with children living with diabetes is the tendency of parents and caregivers to quickly fall back to alternatives in cases of inability to buy insulin or visit hospitals.
Top of the list of alternatives are the religious and traditional centers.
Major setback to these care is the limited understanding and unwillingness to refer peopele to hospitals for adequate care.
This most often leads to complications and in some cases death.

It is to this end that it is important for us all as individuals to demand for action from the executive and legislative arms of government into ensuring
Insulin access being a high priority for government

Diabetes programmes must be integrated and evidence based, highlighting the scale of the problem and areas for effective intervention

1)Reduction in the purchase price of insulin and medical devices
2)Improving geographical access to insuilin by ensuring NCD clinics are available at primary care health centers closer to people in rural areas
3)Incorporate Insulin into healthcare coverage schemes

References:

News, Research, Uncategorized

Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) BY PHARM BUKOLA FABIYI

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I was engaging my followers on the need for constructive methods of essential medicine financing when Pharmacist Bukola Fabiyi mentioned “Drug Revolving Funds” as a potent and strategic means of ensuring people do not die due to live saving medications like insulin.

So i pleaded with her to submit an article about this which she did and i hope our readers can begin to task the government at local, state and federal level into making sure the right things are done towards ensuring essential medicines are made available, affordable and accessible to everyone irrespective of the social status.

Drug Revolving Fund (DRF)

The Bamako Initiative (BI) was introduced by WHO/UNICEF in the late 1980’s to improve access to essential drugs for the most vulnerable in the society and thus improve the health outcomes (Chukwuani et al., 2006).

Essential medicines, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), are the medicines that “satisfy the priority health care needs of the population”. These are the medications to which people should have access at all times in sufficient amounts.

Essential medicines selected for diabetes are “Insulins and analogues” and “Oral blood glucose lowering medicines”

The DRF is a method of financing medicine in which, after an initial capital investment, drug supplies are replenished with monies collected from the sales of drugs according to the world health organization. It is an effective strategy for ensuring regular drug supply in the healthcare delivery system.

This scheme according to the research conducted by ogbonna however has not been successful due to the following reasons:

  • Poor management
  • Mis-application of the Fund
  • Purchasing of drugs at exorbitant prices
  • Lumping of the proceeds of the fund into a general account
  • Non-reimbursement of the cost of drugs for exempted patients.

According to Gazelle News, May 14, 2013, it stated that 17 states went to understudy and adopt Ekiti’s unified DRF.

A case study was also carried out and evaluated on the efficiency in the drug supply system in Kano state in 2013. Kano state was able to increase their procurement significantly from N133 million in 2008 to N1 billion in 2013 without additional financial support. This was managed and supported by key institutions.

To ensure the success of DRF, quality medicines must be identified, the medicine must be affordable and the monitoring and evaluation of the DRF facility must be achieved in accordance to the set performance targets (Ogbonna and Nwako, 2016).

The Central medical stores in Lagos was renovated in 2013 through funding from Non-Governmental Organisation and Federal Ministry of Health (NGO/FMOH). The Lagos state ministry of health has gone into collaboration with PATHS (Partnership for Transforming Health Systems) and private suppliers of medicines to enhance the operation of sustainable DRF system.

References:

Ogbonna, B. O., and Nwako, C. N. (2016) Essential Drug Revolving Fund Scheme in Nigeria, from the Edge of a Precipice towards Sustainability. Journal of Advances in medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Vol 8(2), Pp1-8.

WHO (2009) How to establish a successful revolving drug fund: the experience of Khartoum state in the Sudan. Available [online] from here

Diabetes Education, Information, News, NGDOC News, Society

A WONDERFUL TRIP TO GHANA FOR DIABETES ADVOCACY TRAINING – Omolade Onafowokan

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I had the opportunity of attending an advocacy program on the 22nd – 26th of August 2018. I went as a representative of my country Nigeria (The Nigeria Diabetes Online Community). The venue of the program was at the University of Ghana, Yiri lodge, Accra.

The advocacy program was organized by the SONIA NABETA FOUNDATION, DIABETES YOUTH CARE and Sponsored by T1 INTERNATIONAL, there were also many invited advocates from different country.

At exactly 9am on the 23rd of august the founder of T1 INTERNATIONAL, Elizabeth , open with the following contents. “The meaning of diabetes advocacy, T1 diabetes aim, Importance of diabetes awareness, advocacy plan, advocacy goal.”

After this inspiring step and perfect explanation of what she meant, she gave every advocate an assignment to do in his/her country. It was the most orderly and systematic arrangement I have experienced.

I learnt about ways of improving public awareness through diabetes education, because not all people that are diagnosed of diabetes accept the condition and the fact that they don’t accept means they are not willing to learn about diabetes.

Also, I also learnt about diabetes advocacy aim which helps to raise public awareness round the world in terms of access to insulin, test strip, supporting people with diabetes, organizing diabetes resources and campaigning for world diabetes day.  I learnt about the means of taking action to achieve a specific change in policy practice that could benefit people with diabetes based on good advocacy.

I learnt about speaking on what is important to us, by ensuring that voices of people living with diabetes are heard and by making a difference, standing up for our health right. It is a way of fighting for long term change so more people can have a better life with diabetes.

In numerous ways, I benefited from the experience. First, it paved way for me to know how my goal could be achieved based on advocacy’s key message. Second, the lecture enables me find a remedy to any advocacy issue I may encounter.  Finally, the experience I had was that I was able to gather a first – hand information on how my goal could be easily achieved.

My action plan is to organize a diabetes education program at school in November period, giving them information on what diabetes entails, because misconception about diabetes is one of the health challenges we face in our community and this brings about mismanagement of diabetes. “EDUCATION IS KEY”.

My goal is to make sure students are able to understand the facts and initiative about diabetes.

Diabetes Education, Information, News, Society

A Bad Case- An Original Comedy Series Surrounding Diabetes

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A Bad Case is an original comedy series about four friends and what happens when diabetes shows up at the worst possible moment. It is  a message of hope to the world. It’s comedy about when diabetes goes all wrong and easily relatable.

According to Erin Spinento who also directed the movie:

Hollywood has consistently gotten our story wrong. They have used diabetes as a handy plot tool to raise the stakes for a story. From minor mistakes to huge blunders, they are sharing an inaccurate story of what it means to live with diabetes.

It is time to change that narrative. It is time to have our stories told accurately and in depth. A Bad Case is the story of four friends who handle their diabetes very differently. There is a good chance you will see yourself in at least one of the characters on screen. For the first time, a viewer might be able to relate to someone just like her, who has the same outlook or quirks, who has developed the same strategies for dealing.

Knowing how crucial a positive outlook is on doing a good job of taking care of diabetes, a series that focuses on diabetes and humor could have an incredible impact on those who are struggling with the difficulty of this condition.

Personally, the only way I can deal with such a long-term and difficult situation is to find the humor, even if it is a sort of gallows humor. When we can come to a point of laughing at the absurd difficulty, we gain perspective and a renewed sense of strength to keep on fighting.  

I want to produce this series to explore a new medium for pursuing the same mission I have always had when it comes to interacting with the diabetes community; to empower people to take amazing care of their diabetes.

You can watch, follow the series and support the project here

For interviews or more info, please contact:

Erin Spineto, Sea Peptide Productions. erin@seapeptide.com

Uncategorized

PAMOJA 2018

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The Diabetes Youth Care of Ghana, Sonia Nabeta Foundation of Uganda and the Global Advocacy organization T1International organized a diabetes camp and advocacy training for children living with diabetes in Africa.

Thanks to the generous support of T1International.

Omolade Onafowokan represented The Nigeria Diabetes Online Community (NGDoc) on an all expense paid trip  to Accra Ghana courtesy T1International and domestic support from NGdoc.

The diabetes advocacy training has already been yeilding results as Omolade has embarked on a project which aims at creating diabetes awareness among young school children “Catch them young”

According to an article sent to us by Omolade:

Many people lack knowledge about diabetes in Nigeria and awareness through diabetes education can reduce discrimination among peers and other people in Nigeria.

After the diabetes advocacy training that took place at Ghana, I went to schools in my community to give a health talk about diabetes education. I realized that diabetes is easier to ignore, if you don’t have first hand fact and initiative. Some people lack diabetes education and this brings about misconception about diabetes.

Increase diabetes awareness and education will undoubtedly help to reduce the health complication; Diabetes education program can enlighten and motivate a community as a whole.

On the 21, September 2018. I visited schools in my locality to talk to the students and staff about diabetes because I personally saw diabetes education as a way of helping individuals with diabetes, pre-diabetes to understand the importance of blood sugar, sign and symptoms of  hypoglycemia management of diabetes, healthy eating habits life style etc.

I also observed that diabetes education is a means of setting solid foundation for better diabetes care, it is designed to provides individual with necessary skills and knowledge for successful diabetes management into their daily life because the ailment goes beyond families.

In addition, it allows people to engage in their own health as a means of putting what they have learnt into action.

In conclusion, diabetes education among student will help to reduce misconception discrimination among peers and it will give maximum effectiveness. 

Omolade Onakowokan

We wish Omolade the very best in her endeavors and we wish to specially thank TiInternational who made her flight, accommodation and training possible.

Are you a young Nigerian child living with diabetes and you wish to reach out to us. Follow us on our social media platforms Twitter and Instagram: @theNGdoc; Click to join our Facebook and whatsapp groups

PHOTO SPEAKS:

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Nigeria’s Health Minister Inaugurates Diabetes Awareness Committee

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Prof. Isaac Adewole, Nigeria’s health minister has recently inaugurated the National Steering Committee for the Diabetes Awareness and Care Project (DAC) in Abuja.

At the inauguration, he said the federal government was committed to safeguarding the health of Nigerians and improving diabetes care in the country.

He said: “The Non Communicable Disease Division of the Federal Ministry of Health in Collaboration with the Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF), with the support from the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF), has embarked on this project, which will first be implemented in two states of the country namely FCT and Imo Sates,” he added .

Adewole said the aim was to increase diabetes awareness and improve the two way referral state between Imo state and the Federal Capital territory.

He emphasized that “the finalization of the National Guideline for prevention and control of diabetes in Nigeria which took place earlier this month is an integral part of this project”

“It is expected that the Guideline will ensure standardized protocol for medical care and patient self – management education to prevent acute complication and reduce the risk of long term complications among Nigerians living with the disease”.

Adewole said that the project was to last for three years- from 2018 to 2021. He also commended the World Diabetes Foundation and Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation for the support and efforts to ensure the project becomes a reality.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, FMOH, Mr. Abdallahi Mashi, who was represented by the Director, Public Health, Dr. Evelyn Ngige, said that the prevalence of diabetes in Nigeria was increasing with current WHO figures estimates at 3.4 per cent, while local studies carried out by researchers have figures from 3-10 per cent.

This is a step in the right direction and we hope it improves diabetes awareness and gets proper implementation.

 

News

Free foot checks for people with diabetes

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As Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre celebrates her  anniversary, they’ve organized a training for health workers on skills in diabetes care as well as free foot checks for patients living with diabetes.

 

This would be during the 5th Annual Diabetes Foot and Podiatry Workshop organized at Dover Hotel, Lekki.

 

Medical Director of the centre and coordinator of the Diabetes Podiatry Initiative Nigeria (DPIN), Dr. Afoke Isiavwe, in a statement, said the workshop, the 5th edition, is being organised to address the high rate of amputation among Nigerians living with diabetes, which has been reported to be as high as 53.2 per cent of the number of people with foot ulcer in some centres. This makes diabetes foot the most common cause of non-traumatic amputation in the lower extremities in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world.

International training faculty from the World Walk Foundation, Jamaican Chapter, will conduct the 2018 edition of the workshop, according to the release.

The focus of the training would be on primary health care workers as they are the first point of call in diabetes care.

“It is important to equip these group of healthcare workers with necessary skills in these two common conditions to detect initiate correct treatment and also know when to refer patients for further care,” the release further said.

 

Information

World BreastFeeding Week; Mothers who breastfeed for 6 months have 48 percent less risk of diabetes

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The world breast feeding week just wrapped up and theme was  “Breastfeeding: the foundation for life”

NgDOC is excited to promote and celebrate with the rest of the world.

“There could be greater health benefits for women from breastfeeding than previously recognized,” said lead study author Erica Gunderson of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California.

Compared to women who didn’t breastfeed at all, mothers who nursed babies for at least six months were 48 percent less likely to develop diabetes. Mothers who also breastfed for fewer than 6 months had 25 percent lower risk of developing diabetes.

In the past, it has been well known that aside from promoting good brain development because of some specific proteins like cysteine and taurine in breast milk, breastfeeding reduces the risk of a child developing allergic reactions, respiratory infections and now even diabetes!

It was a 30 year long study analyzed by researchers in the US from women in a heart health study and monitored throughout that time.

Scientists believe that there are good biological reasons why breastfeeding may protect against diabetes. For example, it is known to boost hormones which control blood insulin levels and lower blood sugar. It can also help new mothers lose pregnancy weight.

“We found a very strong association between breastfeeding duration and lower risk of developing diabetes, even after accounting for all possible confounding risk factors,” said lead author Dr Erica Gunderson, senior research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in California.

“The incidence of diabetes decreased in a graded manner as breastfeeding duration increased, regardless of race, gestational diabetes, lifestyle behaviors, body size, and other metabolic risk factors measured before pregnancy, implying the possibility that the underlying mechanism may be biological.”

“Breastfed babies are also less likely to become overweight later in life, reducing their risk of developing cancer in the future as well.”

Breastfeeding also reduces the risk for breast cancer in the mother.

This makes breastfeeding protective for both mother and child.

Only about 36% of infants aged 0-6 months worldwide were exclusively breastfed over the period of 2007-2014. The lives of over 820,000 children could be saved every year among children under 5 years, if all children 0-23 months were optimally breastfed.

WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is 6 months old to promote health.

In spite of the benefits of breastfeeding, some women may face barriers to success, including lack of social support, lack of paid leave and lack of onsite childcare. Since breastfeeding provides a tremendous benefit for the child, mom and society, we want to keep encouraging women to breastfeed and create environments that support success.

The research was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

 

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The Kim Kardashian-style keto diet can increase risk of diabetes, new study warns.

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The keto diet, favoured by Kim K , has become increasingly popular in the Nigerian space for a few years now . In a recent report by researchers in the Journal of Physiology, keto diet is said to be linked with an increasing risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Keto diet became popular for its perceived ability to cause weight loss and reverse type 2 diabetes but ironically, a study by ETH Zurich and University Children’s Hospital Zurich found that this low carb but high fat diet contributes to insulin resistance, making it difficult for the body to respond to normal level of insulin, increasing the blood glucose level and causing your pancreas to get to do more work.

Insulin is an hormone released into the blood by the pancreas and used to control blood sugar levels , it also signals the liver to stop producing sugar. If this mechanism is impaired, the liver would no longer respond and would continue sugar production. This is called insulin resistance.

This increased risk was noticed during the early stage of the diet, according to the study which compared different diets; a high fat diet and a ketogenic diet in two groups of lab mice.

Keto diet was invented in the 1920s as a way to cure epilepsy.

The difference between keto diet and regular low carb diet is that it restricts both carbohydrate and protein intake instead of just carbohydrate intake. It is said to create a lower insulin environment and ultimately reduce fat stores.

Researchers however say more research has to be done in this area.

 

 

 

Source : Eurekalert

Information, NGDOC News, Society

How Real Madrid’s Nacho did not let Diabetes Stop Him

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Heartbreak is an overused word in football, tagged on to every last-minute defeat, relegation or omission from a squad list. Real Madrid and Spain defender Nacho Fernandez Iglesias knows what it really means.

Real Madrid and Spain defender Nacho. Picture: Instagram / Nacho Fernandez Iglesias
Real Madrid and Spain defender Nacho. Picture: Instagram / Nacho Fernandez Iglesias

‘I was about 12 years old and had been at Real Madrid for a couple of years. It was a dream come true for a young boy to play in that shirt,’ he says.

‘I was about to go off and play a tournament with Real Madrid but I didn’t feel right.

‘I had this constant need to pee and I was drinking lots and lots of water. My mother was worried.

‘She decided to call the hospital. They carried out some tests and my blood-sugar levels were through the roof. I was diagnosed with (type 1) diabetes.

‘On the Friday the doctor told me there was no way I could go on playing football. Imagine any 12-year-old kid being told that. It was awful.’

Real Madrid and Spain defender Nacho. Picture: Instagram / Nacho Fernandez Iglesias
Real Madrid and Spain defender Nacho. Picture: Getty Image

It was 2002 and as well as playing in the club’s boys’ teams, Nacho was a Madrid fan who idolised Fernando Hierro and Zinedine Zidane. His dream of following Zidane into the first team had been crushed but the heartbreak would be short-lived.

‘On the Monday I went back into the hospital and I saw a different doctor, Dr Ramirez,’ he explains, and there is warmth in his voice when he says that second doctor’s name.

‘I was so happy because he said the opposite was true. He said sport was the most important thing for me and I had to carry on playing and competing. It wasn’t true that my condition meant I couldn’t be a sportsman. And here I am still fighting.’

Nine years later Jose Mourinho gave Nacho  his Real Madrid debut. Zidane is now his manager. He’s on his way to Kiev for his third Champions League final and then off to Russia with Spain.

The 28-year-old may be Madrid’s ‘fifth’ defender but many supporters would have him in the team. He is one of their own. They idolise him as the anti-galactico who still lives in the Madrid town of Alcala de Henares where he grew up and not in a gated millionaires-only neighbourhood.

If he does start on the bench on Saturday there will be no devastation. After being told he would never have a career, he is just happy to be there. Happy to have proved a player can cope with diabetes and still reach the top. ‘Diabetes doesn’t mean as a young kid you can’t have a normal life and practising sport is the most important thing in combating it,’ he says.

‘I have to give myself injections every day and I have to take care with food and drink that have a high sugar level. But sport for a person with diabetes is fundamental.’

When his debut came, it was Mourinho who gave it to him. He says: ‘I’ve only got good things to say about Mourinho. It’s not true that he doesn’t give young players a chance. He gave my brother Alex (now at Cadiz) his debut too, before me. In our family there is a lot of love for Mourinho.’

Nacho’s progression is not just an example for kids with medical conditions, he is also a beacon for homegrown players.

‘The canteranos (youth-team graduates) can be the soul of the club. Madrid is a difficult club to break through at because they have always had the best players. But the presence of homegrown players alongside the superstars has been fundamental.’

Zidane will hope that combination can deliver against Liverpool on Saturday night.

‘They have three spectacular players up front,’ says Nacho. ‘They are quick and they score goals. They will make it difficult but we have the defenders to deal with the threat.’

Daily Mail

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