Doctors Urge FG to Subsidise Insulin as Prices Surge to ₦25,000

Endocrinologists have urged the Federal Government to subsidise insulin and introduce a dedicated policy to improve access to the life-saving medication for Nigerians living with Type 1 diabetes.

The doctors warned that the sharp increase in insulin prices was placing a heavy financial burden on young people with the condition and could put their lives at risk if they were unable to maintain regular access to treatment.

The call was made on Wednesday at the sixth Annual Ogun State Youth Diabetes Camp organised by the Talabi Diabetes Centre in Abeokuta.

The Camp Coordinator of the centre, Dr Olubiyi Adeshina, explained that Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

As a result, people living with Type 1 diabetes depend on insulin injections for survival.

Adeshina warned that prolonged interruption of insulin treatment could cause dangerously high blood sugar levels, potentially leading to coma and death.

“All the days of their lives, at least three times a day, they will need to inject that insulin or else the blood sugar goes excessively high,” he said.

He said the cost of insulin had risen dramatically, noting that a vial that previously sold for about ₦5,000 now costs approximately ₦25,000.

According to him, some patients require about two vials every month, meaning they could spend roughly ₦50,000 monthly on insulin alone, excluding expenses for blood glucose monitoring and other aspects of diabetes management.

“It’s a tough battle. How are we going to get insulin to these young people so that they can survive into adulthood?” he asked.

Adeshina identified excessive urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, blurred vision and wounds that fail to heal among symptoms that may indicate diabetes.

He explained that Type 1 diabetes cannot currently be prevented through lifestyle changes because of its autoimmune nature, while Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with factors including unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and excessive weight gain.

Also speaking, the Acting Director of the Talabi Diabetes Centre, Dr Ayotunde Ale, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to establish a dedicated policy for Nigerians living with Type 1 diabetes, particularly children and young adults.

“Insulin is very, very expensive. Now, with inflation and everything ongoing in society, a packet, a month’s supply, now costs about N25,000 against N5,000 that we used to purchase insulin,” Ale said.

She called on the Federal Government to subsidise insulin and establish a policy framework that would make the medication more affordable and accessible to people living with Type 1 diabetes.

Ale also urged the National Assembly to address the challenges confronting people with the condition, warning that the rising cost of treatment could negatively affect their quality of life.

Beyond affordability, she identified stigma and misconceptions as significant challenges facing young people living with Type 1 diabetes.

The physician urged parents and members of the public to seek proper medical evaluation for children displaying symptoms instead of attributing unexplained illnesses or deaths to traditional beliefs.

“My message is that all those children we call ogbanje, we call different types of, they die in their youth, and you don’t know the cause. Don’t call them ogbanje. Please, come for testing. Let’s do screening for all these children,” she said.

She also called for greater involvement by non-governmental organisations, healthcare providers and other stakeholders in supporting people living with diabetes.

Ale said the Talabi Diabetes Centre continued to play an important role in providing diabetes care and support, describing it as a non-profit organisation and primary diabetes care centre.

The doctors maintained that urgent government intervention was necessary to prevent the cost of insulin from becoming an additional threat to the lives and wellbeing of Nigerians living with Type 1 diabetes.