Dear Readers: This summer, I began a project to increase awareness for and prevention of diabetes. While many of us are generally familiar with the condition, few people know about the impending global shortage of life-saving insulin that many diabetics rely on every day. This is a major issue in Illinois, where 1.3 million adults live with diabetes.
When I learned of this issue, I became committed to understanding more about diabetes, including how we can better treat it and prevent it, and how we can avoid another insulin shortage. This article is part of my public awareness campaign. I encourage you to read the striking statistics below, and to do a few more things:
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Check out my website, https://diabetesfuture.wixsite.com/home, for more information, including a great blog featuring four real people’s stories with diabetes;
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Read and share this informational brochure explaining Type 1 diabetes; and
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Talk to your friends and family about health preventative measures, and stay informed! Start with this article.
The imminent global shortage of insulin is more than a public health crisis. It is also an issue of massive social inequality. In November of 2018, studies revealed that by 2030, 79 million adults with type 2 diabetes are expected to need insulin to manage their condition. It also determined that if current levels of access remain, only half of them will be able to be able to get an adequate supply. This has life-altering implications for people across the globe currently living with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and those who are at risk of developing type 2 in the near future. The price of insulin is already skyrocketing, leaving many patients to ration their limited insulin supply and some even dying prematurely.
Soon, only those with sufficient income will be able to manage their diabetes, while low-income patients around the world will have to suffer the severe side effects and risk of death without insulin. For such a highly manageable disease, this is unacceptable. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the global market for insulin is monopolized by only three manufacturers who can control its price. Add this to the United States’ largely unequal system of insurance costs and healthcare delivery, and there is little hope for those living with diabetes without the means to pay hundreds of dollars for a vial of insulin.
There are two parts to this problem. The first is the pharmaceutical systems that allow for daily life-saving drugs to become so exorbitantly priced. The second part forces us to ask: Why are more and more people around the world, namely within the United States, being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? The condition is considered preventable by managing diet and general healthy habits. The answer is complex and rooted in social issues. Many studies highlight the correlation between poverty and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. In poorer parts of our country, families often live in “food deserts” with little access to fresh produce. They accumulate stress from working long hours in minimum-wage jobs with few health benefits. In low-income areas dealing with violence, sedentariness can be a by-product of refraining from engaging in outdoor activities. All of these factors, and many more, contribute to diabetes and a host of other chronic illnesses which low-income families are not equipped to deal with (financially or otherwise).
These seemingly isolated factors, when multiplied by communities around the world, contribute to a situation in which the restricted supply for insulin can neither meet the growing demand nor remain economically accessible. Prevention of diabetes is becoming increasingly difficult in the areas where it is most common.
This global crisis is multifaceted, and it will require a multifaceted solution. Medical researchers will need to partner with policymakers, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and local governments to find sustainable ways to mitigate the rise of type 2 diabetes while helping all current diabetes patients retain access to affordable insulin for as long as they will need it. For these reasons, support for diabetes research is especially critical. Donations to organizations like the American Diabetes Association help support efforts to diagnose type 1 diabetes, prevent type 2 diabetes, and find a long-term cure.