In a powerful plea for action, Gatefield has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently implement a diabetes drug subsidy fund as part of broader efforts to address the rising healthcare crisis in Nigeria. This demand follows alarming findings presented on the second day of the Gatefield Health Summit 2024.
The comprehensive study titled “Impact of Inflation on Affordability and Adherence to Anti-diabetics,” conducted by Gatefield and DGI Consults, highlights that exorbitant drug prices are overwhelming patients and pushing hospitals into crisis. An increasing number of Nigerians are requiring emergency care due to untreated diabetes complications.
According to the study, the average cost of diabetes management in 2024 is approximately one million naira, compared to less than five hundred thousand naira in 2023. Dr. Gafar Alawode, the research principal investigator, revealed that the costs of treating diabetes have become impossible for the overwhelming majority of Nigerians, resulting in a hospitalization crisis.
“The poorest of the poor require over 600% of their annual income for basic treatment. We are seeing fewer diabetic patients in clinics and more in emergency rooms,” he said.
Gatefield urged the Tinubu administration to implement subsidies for diabetes medication while proposing sustainable funding through increased sugar taxes. Shirley Ewang, Advocacy Lead at Gatefield, stated, “WHO recommends that the government introduce a minimum 20% tax to help drive down consumption. We need to incentivize healthier lifestyles while making it possible for every Nigerian to access affordable diabetes medication. The funds from the sugar-sweetened beverage taxes must go directly into subsidizing these drugs.”
The crisis was further illustrated during the unveiling of Gatefield’s documentary “The Silent Epidemic: Diabetes in Nigeria,” presented by journalist Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie. Featured in the documentary, Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, shared his personal struggles living with diabetes for 50 years and emphasized the importance of early intervention and lifestyle changes, such as adopting a sugar-free diet and engaging in regular exercise.