Children with diabetes have right to a full life
Tajul Islam and his family could not imagine that he would live beyond his teen years, let alone have the opportunity to get admission to Dhaka University and look forward to a long, healthy life, when he was diagnosed with type1 diabetes at only 15.
Having been through an emotional roller coaster of a year, he along with his parents came to Dhaka for treatment. “After counselling at Changing Diabetes in Children [CDIC at Birdem], I understood what I should do to have a good life,” Tajul said yesterday at a roundtable on challenges of childhood diabetes and what role social partners can play to tackle them. The event, organised by CDIC of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, Novo Nordisk and the daily Samakal, was held at Birdem General Hospital-2 (for women and children) in Segunbagicha, Dhaka
Tajul is now part of a volunteers' team trying to raise awareness on childhood diabetes and remove the stigma attached to it.
There are now 6,000 diabetic children registered with Birdem, the only facility providing children with comprehensive care for diabetes. Almost 80 percent of them have type1 diabetes, meaning their bodies don't produce insulin, and so they need insulin injection every day to survive, said Bedowra Zabeen, a specialist in children's diabetes, while giving a presentation at the programme.
Moreover, type-2 diabetes, which can be hereditary, is on the rise among children due to unhealthy eating habit and sedentary lifestyle. In most cases, it can be prevented if children eat less junk food and are physically active, the physician said. Type-2 diabetes means the patient's body doesn't use insulin properly and so they need medication or insulin to keep their blood sugar at normal level.
Ninety-two percent of children with type-1 diabetes are from disadvantaged families who cannot bear the treatment cost of nearly Tk 8,160 a month. They get free insulin and other medical support under two programmes – CDIC and Life for a Child – taken up by the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh.
Financial and logistic supports come from World Diabetes Foundation, International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Danish multi-national pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.
IDF has estimated the number of children and adolescents having type-1 diabetes at 17,057. The figure suggests that many remain undiagnosed and without proper care.
Children with type-1 diabetes cannot live long without insulin. To them, insulin is life and so it is their right to get it, said Prof AK Azad Khan, president of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh. “Insulin should be free of cost if they cannot afford to buy it.”
The number of children needing support is not huge, and so it is not a big deal for the government to extend its support to them, Prof Azad added.
Bedowra expressed concern over the sustainability of the programmes if donors withdraw their support and squeeze the fund spent on free insulin and other treatment support.
Maj Gen Mustafizur Rahman, director general of the Directorate General of Drug Administration, said the authorities concerned would devise an action plan to provide free insulin and strips used to check blood sugar level.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammed Nasim, who was present at the programme as the chief guest, said he would work to ensure all kinds of support to the children. He asked the Diabetic Association to write a letter to the ministry with details of issues these children face.
If voted to power, Nasim said he would ensure in the next budget that VAT, tax is not imposed on strips and insulin pumps used to inject the hormone.
Danish Ambassador Winnie Estrup Petersen said if Bangladesh is to obtain sustainable development goals it has to be through shared responsibilities among the government, private sector and civil society.
Anand Shetty, managing director of Novo Nordisk Bangladesh, said the company, apart from producing insulin, was engaged in awareness building, educating and counseling people on the disease. It was as part of its social responsibility that Novo Nordisk became part of the CDIC programme in 2009.
Novo Nordisk in partnership with Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a leading pharmaceutical company owned by Transcom Group, has been manufacturing insulin in the country since 2012. Transcom Distribution Company supplies insulin products across the country.
“We won't be done unless every child with type-1 diabetes gets diagnosed and can live a healthy, happy life,” Anand said.
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