FG, GOVERNORS TASKED WITH MAKING DIABETES DRUGS AFFORDABLE

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Dr. Olubiyi Adeshina, an endocrinologist at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has voiced serious concerns about the diabetes medication cost explosion in Nigeria, highlighting the significant financial strain this puts on patients.

Speaking at the Talabi Diabetes Centre 4th Annual Ogun Youth Diabetes Camp Closing Ceremony held at the Youth Development Centre, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta on Wednesday, Adeshina revealed that an average person with diabetes in Nigeria now requires between N70,000 and N100,000 monthly for medication.

A cost he said many cannot afford.

He attributed the sharp rise in medication costs to the recent depreciation of the Naira, noting that insulin, which previously cost around N6,000 to N8,000, now ranges from N13,000 to N18,000, depending on the dosage required.

“It is a big problem to afford insulin in Nigeria. Elsewhere, including in neighbouring countries like Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, and South Africa, diabetes patients receive insulin, blood sugar checking meters, and glucometers for free,” Adeshina stated.

Also, participants at the event also shared the challenges of living with Type 1 diabetes in Nigeria, including the need for multiple daily insulin injections, the cost of insulin pens now averaging N18,000 each, and the discrimination they face in schools from both teachers and peers.

Adeshina called for urgent government intervention to make diabetes medication more affordable and accessible.