Lara Adejoro Medical practitioners have raised the alarm over the high cost of diabetes medications, stating that they have become unaffordable for the overwhelming majority of Nigerians living with the condition, thereby resulting in a hospitalisation crisis. This comes as a public strategy and media group, Gatefield, called on President Bola Tinubu to implement a diabetes drug subsidy fund as part of broader efforts to tackle the growing healthcare crisis in Nigeria. They made this appeal following findings presented on Wednesday at the 2024 Gatefield Health Summit in Abuja, themed “Beyond 65: Preventing the Quiet Epidemic.
” The study, titled “Impact of Inflation on Affordability and Adherence to Anti-Diabetics,” conducted by Gatefield and DGI Consults, revGatefield ealed that exorbitant drug prices are overwhelming patients and straining hospitals, with an increasing number of Nigerians requiring emergency care due to untreated diabetes complications. According to the study, the average cost of diabetes management in 2024 is about ₦1 million, compared to less than ₦500,000 in 2023. Presenting the study’s findings, the principal investigator, Gafar Alawode, disclosed that the cost of treating diabetes has become impossible for most Nigerians, leading to a hospitalisation crisis.
“The poorest people now need over 600 per cent of their annual income for basic treatment. We are seeing fewer diabetic patients in clinics and more in emergency rooms,” Alawode sa.