The rising cost of managing diabetes has renewed calls for the Social Health Authority (SHA) to cover insulin pens and pen needles, with health advocates saying the devices could make daily treatment easier for Kenyans who depend on insulin.
The appeal comes amid growing numbers of people living with diabetes and continued problems in getting regular treatment. Many patients face high costs when buying insulin and related supplies, making it difficult for them to maintain their treatment.
An estimated 813,300 adults in Kenya were living with diabetes in 2021, equal to about 3.1 per cent of the adult population.
The number could be higher because more than half of people living with diabetes are believed to have not been diagnosed.
Around 15 per cent of people with diabetes are estimated to require insulin. However, only about half of those who need the medicine are able to access it.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said the price and availability of insulin continue to prevent many people from getting treatment, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Dr Elizabeth Jarman, a noncommunicable disease technical adviser at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Access, said more needs to be done to make modern insulin treatment available to people who need it.
“The prevalence of diabetes is rapidly increasing around the world, but access to treatment is not improving at the same rate, especially in low- and middle-income countries where modern, more efficacious, and person-preferred treatments like analogue insulin pens are unaffordable or unavailable,” Jarman said.
She said Kenya could improve diabetes care by making analogue insulin pens part of the SHA benefits package.
“By introducing analogue insulin pens to its Social Health Authority benefits package, Kenya would be leading the charge towards upending the global double standard in diabetes care and ensuring that people with diabetes have more equitable access to care.”
Insulin remains essential in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, where patients depend on the medicine to stay alive. Some people with type 2 diabetes also require insulin after their bodies fail to produce enough of it or when other medicines are unable to keep their blood sugar under control.
There are different ways of taking insulin, including using a vial and syringe or an insulin pen.
An insulin pen is a small device that holds insulin and allows the user to inject a set amount of the medicine.
Advocates say the pens can make insulin use less difficult, especially for children and patients who have to inject themselves several times every day.
They also allow users to measure their doses, making it easier to give the required amount of insulin.
The financial burden remains a major challenge for many patients. The amount spent on insulin each month varies according to the kind of insulin being used, the dose required and the place where it is purchased.
Various studies estimate that patients can spend between Sh5,000 and Sh20,000 every month on insulin from their own pockets.
The amount can be higher for patients using newer insulin products or those who obtain their medicine from private pharmacies.
WHO maintains that human insulin is the cheaper option and remains an important medicine for people managing diabetes.
At the same time, newer insulin analogues can provide some advantages, including lasting longer in the body and giving patients more flexibility in the timing and amount of their doses.
With the cost of treatment continuing to affect access, health advocates want SHA to add insulin pens and pen needles to its package so that patients can have a simpler option for taking insulin without carrying the full cost themselves.