How we are overcoming challenges raised by the coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a multitude of impacts on the provision of diabetes care in every country.
There are various likely challenges for less-resourced countries:
1. Immediate impacts from lockdowns – food insecurity and lack of supplies and care due to movement limitations and loss of income; lack of specific information on COVID-19 and diabetes; and risk of diabetic ketoacidosis or hypoglycaemia
2. Need for accurate information for people with diabetes and health professionals
See the JDRF – Beyond Type 1 Alliance resource here
Santé Diabète has developed a COVID-19 Diabetes Response Strategy for Mali. It is useful for diabetes organizations, people with diabetes, and health professionals. View in: English / Français
3. Interruptions to current shipments of insulin and other supplies due to limited flights and government shutdowns
4. Economic damage resulting in cuts to government health budgets, reducing or delaying insulin orders and other expenditures
In response, Life for a Child and JDRF have assembled the COVID-19 Diabetes Supplies Coalition (CDSC).
The CDSC is an agile group of like-minded organisations aiming to:
- Identify shortages of insulin and other essential diabetes supplies, and other impacts on diabetes care, that result from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Mobilise support and share best practices so that these needs can be met as well as possible.
If you are aware of any needs or would like to express an interest in joining this coalition, please contact us.
If you would like to make a donation to help Life for a Child’s efforts in supporting young people through the COVID-19 crisis, please click here.
Coalition partners
- Beyond Type 1
- Changing Diabetes in Children
- Defeat-NCD
- The Diabetes in Humanitarian Crises group
- Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition
- Direct Relief
- GPED
- International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
- The International Insulin Foundation
- International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD)
- Insulin for Life
- JDRF
- Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust
- Life for a Child
- Marjorie’s Fund
- NCD Alliance
- Partners in Health/Harvard Medical School
- PATH
- Santé Diabète
- Sonia Nabeta Foundation
- Stichting Vluechteling
- T1International