Killer at large

Diabetes is still a global crisis and one we need to urgently address

The global strain diabetes poses to health and healthcare systems is growing. Globally, an estimated 783 million people will have the condition by 2045, which will represent a $1.05 trillion healthcare price tag. While incredible initiatives, such as World Diabetes Day, help to improve awareness and understanding, there is a need to make this amount of effort beyond one moment in time to make a real impact.

We need to continue discussions and create opportunities year-round that will help people with diabetes and the wider community secure access to care to effectively treat and manage this condition – and our collective industry has a vital role to play.

The scale of the problem: Key challenges
in diabetes management

An estimated 537 million adults aged 20–79 years worldwide (10.5% of all adults in this age group) have diabetes, which is continuing to rise. Thus, the number of people with diabetes is estimated to increase by 46%.

We know that, if this chronic condition is left untreated, the secondary complications of diabetes can be serious, and for some it can be a cause of death. In 2021, 6.7 million adults are estimated to have died from diabetes and related complications: that’s one every five seconds. No one should die from diabetes.

The global barriers to diabetes diagnosis, treatment and management are diverse. There is an obvious disparity in the access to care, as well as the understanding of the condition, resulting in delays in diagnosis and suboptimal diabetes management. In Europe alone, only 6.5% of people with diabetes reach their combined therapy targets.
And the predicament for people in low- and middle-income countries is far worse, where it’s estimated that there are approximately 368 million people with diabetes, of which almost half (184 million) are undiagnosed.

The number of trained healthcare professionals in many countries is low and healthcare resources are scarce, with the majority of healthcare expenditure in more mature markets. There are also more fundamental elements at play that only exacerbate the problem.

Getting people to understand diabetes is a major hurdle – there is low health literacy, poor awareness and women’s health priority is low in many parts of the world, elements that all lead to a therapeutic inertia for appropriate diabetes management.

Aligned with the International Diabetes Federation and this year’s World Diabetes Day theme, at Roche Diabetes Care we believe that access to care and education that increases awareness is the first step for people to prevent, understand and manage diabetes. Technological and pharmacological innovations are much needed, but are only successful with the right access and better education, otherwise good self-management is never going to be universally achieved.

The power of data: Creating a
personalised approach

Knowing the scale of the problem is vital. Data is integral to effectively manage therapy, and provides valuable information for healthcare professionals and those involved in the patients’ care to help make treatment decisions. We have seen a promising trend in the increased integration of digital technologies and diabetes care platforms, which is helping us to transform the way we monitor and manage therapy, providing personalised solutions for people with diabetes.

At Roche Diabetes Care we understand the successful management of diabetes has to comprise a holistic, 360°, patient-centric approach – one that is personalised to the needs and lifestyle of each individual. There is a need for integrated Personalised Diabetes Management that combines a structured therapeutic approach with devices and digital solutions to support meaningful clinical and patient-relevant outcome improvements and help people with diabetes better manage their condition.

Especially as, on average, people with diabetes have to make over 50 therapy decisions every day, while keeping in mind hundreds of data points in order to make these decisions. They will also spend approximately 8,744 hours every year managing a disease that never takes a break.

Blood glucose monitoring (BGM) has an important role to play in this scenario, as it is an effective, affordable and state-of-the-art solution. Ultimately, when connected to an ecosystem, devices and digital solutions can help to keep diabetes under control.  This approach could also bring additional benefits allowing people with diabetes living in rural areas to stay connected with their HCP via remote monitoring, fostering better access to care and diabetes management.

However much we all want to do now what patients need next in their diabetes care, we know that we can’t do it alone.

Industry collaboration: A force for good

Looking at the innovations brought to market over the past decades shows that the diabetes epidemic can’t be solved by a single company. Collaboration with other industry partners is vital to connect the dots of care provision. At Roche Diabetes Care we have worked closely with industry and associated partners for years through our Access2Care programmes.

Initiatives such as Changing Diabetes in Children, launched in 2009 in which we collaborate with Novo Nordisk and other global and local partners, address local barriers to healthcare, support ministries of health in the development and improvement of health infrastructures, patient education and HCP training.

These types of public and private partnerships are important to create localised strategies and relevant educational programmes that also help to reduce health disparities and break down access barriers for all people with diabetes – and they really do work.

Streamlining the ecosystem and consolidating efforts where we are all hoping to achieve the same thing for people with diabetes is beneficial for all parties and helps to create sustainable solutions – a must if we’re going to live up to our sustainability obligations.

The final analysis

We need to take control of diabetes, leading with education on prevention, lifestyle adaptations, treatment and optimal management to limit the disease progression and prevent secondary complications that impact the quality of life of people with diabetes and place an enormous burden on the healthcare systems around the globe.

Collaboration is the focus that is needed in industry and across the healthcare system. I feel we need a real emphasis on tailored support programmes that consider the health disparities and provide fair access to care and the technologies, tools and platforms that can make daily diabetes management simple.

It has been more than 100 years since the discovery of insulin, and although we have come a long way, there is so much more we can do for people with diabetes, irrespective of where they live.

Marcel Gmünder is Global Head at Roche Diabetes Care. Go to roche.com