Background and Aims / Part 1
According to the latest IDF Diabetes Atlas, it is estimated that 15.5 and 84 million people living with diabetes in Africa and South East Asia respectively. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region alone has 38.7 million people with diabetes. The disease is serious and increasing to reach a global epidemic resulting in huge burden on the overall world health care requirement. Insulin is included in the World Health Organization as an essential medicine. However, it is still not available on an uninterrupted basis in many parts of the developing world. The consequences of lack of insulin access are alarming as it is a life-saving medication. In Sub-Saharan Africa, lack of regular access to insulin results in a life expectancy of less than a year for a child with type 1 diabetes. In addition, it results in an increased incidence of blindness, amputations, kidney failure and premature mortality.Methods / Part 2
Diabetes technology is a term used to describe devices, hard and software that people use to manage diabetes, reduce complications and improve quality of life. It covers insulin delivery modalities and glucose monitoring tools. Technology to improve management of type 1 diabetes has markedly advanced over the past few decades. It developed from early insulin pumps and blood glucose meters to integration with consumer electronics and cloud-based data systems.Results / Part 3
There are multiple unmet needs in the use of technology in diabetes management worldwide but these are more pronounced in low-resource regions. Cost comes at the top of the list when access to diabetes technologies with expensive devices and supplies is concerned. However, cost is not the sole factor. Roles and regulations over the use of technology can hinder its wide use in countries where electronic security is limited. Digital security and vulnerability might render patients’ safe use of devices at risk as device setting can be accessed remotely and wirelessly changed. Limited accessibility, whether provided in publicly funded health system or based on private insurance poses a major challenge. In addition, shortage of trained health professionals and lack of resources in health sector constitute major factors for the unavailability and the low quality of care and service received for people with diabetes.
Conclusions / Part 4
In this presentation, special emphasis will be thrown on low income countries from Africa and Asia. Results from surveys on views of health care professionals on the subject will be presented.