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Challenges in Type 1 diabetes management in South East Asia: Descriptive situational assessment
Jothydev Kesavadev1, Shaukat M Sadikot2, Banshi Saboo3, Dina Shrestha4, Fatema Jawad5, Kishwar Azad6, Mahendra Arunashanthi Wijesuriya7, Tint Swe Latt8, Sanjay Kalra9
1 Department of Diabetology, Jothydev's Diabetes Research Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
2 Department of Diabetology, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
3 Department of Diabetology, Dia Care Clinic, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
4 Department of Medicine, Trivuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
5 Diabetology Department, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
6 Department of Endocrinology, Birdem Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
7 Diabetes Association of Sri Lanka, National Diabetes Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka
8 Department of Endocrinology, University of Medicine 2, Yangon, Myanmar
9 Bharti Hospital, Karnal, Haryana, India
Correspondence Address:
Jothydev Kesavadev
Jothydev's Diabetes Research Centre, JDC Junction, Mudavanmugal, Trivandrum - 695 032, Kerala
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2230-8210.139210
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Treatment of type 1 diabetes is a challenging issue in South East Asia. Unlike in the developed countries, patients have to procure insulin, glucometer strips and other treatment facilities from their own pockets. Coupled with poor resources are the difficulties with diagnosis, insulin initiation, insulin storage, marital and emotional challenges. Being a disease affecting only a minority of people, it is largely ignored by the governments and policy makers. Comprehensive diagnostic, treatment and team based educational facilities are available only in the speciality diabetes centers in the private sector whereas majority of the subjects with type 1 diabetes are from a poor socio-economic background. Unlike in the Western world, being known as a diabetes patient is a social sigma and poses huge emotional burden living with the disease and getting married. Even with best of the resources, long-term treatment of type 1 diabetes still remains a huge challenge across the globe. In this review, authors from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh detail the country-specific challenges and discuss the possible solutions. |
