Insulin Access Will Reduce In Future Studies Predict

Diabetics depend on Insulin to manage their condition and as the number of diabetics increases, there will not be enough insulin to cater to the growing number.

According to a modelling study in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, by 2030, out of 79 million adults with type 2 diabetes, only half the number will have access to insulin if the current access is not addressed.

The researchers have advised for access to the drug to be improved especially in regions which they predict will be affected most- African, Asian and Oceania regions.

Dr Sanjay Basu, assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University in the US, who led the research said: “These estimates suggest that current levels of insulin access are highly inadequate compared to the projected need, particularly in Africa and Asia, and more efforts should be devoted to overcoming this looming health challenge.”
“Despite the UN’s commitment to treat non-communicable diseases and ensure universal access to drugs for diabetes, across much of the world insulin is scarce and unnecessarily difficult for patients to access.”

The amount of insulin needed to effectively treat type 2 diabetes will rise by more than 20 per cent worldwide over the next 12 years.

Insulin is necessary for the treatment of type 1 diabetes and some people with type 2 diabetes.
The research team are investigating the pattern of growth of diabetics over the next 12 years to aid in predicting the amount of insulin that will be required and if the demands will be met.
The team used data from the International Federation and other models to predict that the number of people with type 2 diabetes will rise from 406 million to 511 million in 2030.

According to Basu “The number of adults with type 2 diabetes is expected to rise over the next 12 years due to ageing, urbanization and associated changes in diet and physical activity.”