Friend,

Despite the fact that 537 million people around the world have diabetes, only half of all people who need insulin in the world have access to it. Additionally, very little care is provided for patients by government health systems, resulting in higher rates of mortality and complications in those who survive.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is one of the few humanitarian groups filling the gap in care by procuring insulin pens and providing diabetes consultations in our projects around the world. In 2022 alone, our teams conducted 205,122 diabetes-related consultations.

From South Asia to the Middle East to Africa, our teams are working to increase access to diabetes care and provide treatment to the people who need it most. Still, access to care remains out of reach for far too many as cases continue to rise in low- and middle-income countries. Learn more about how your support is helping MSF break down barriers to provide critical care for our patients.
 

When it comes to treating diabetes, insulin pens are the standard of care in high-income countries. Insulin pens are easier and safer to use, administer the correct dose, and are less painful and less stigmatizing to use in public—all factors that improve the quality of life of people with diabetes and support adherence to treatment. However, the high prices companies charge mean they are almost never available to people in low- and middle-income countries, even though they are more practical and safer for people to use than vials and syringes.

MSF has been sounding the alarm on the urgent need for governments and policymakers—including in the US—to do more to ensure equitable access to diabetes treatment worldwide. Reducing prices and addressing the lack of competition in the market would expand access to lifesaving treatment in fragile humanitarian settings where we work.

Together with supporters like you, MSF is working to meet the urgent needs of people affected by diabetes and other diseases in the places we work all around the world.

Please take a moment to learn more about MSF’s work to expand access to affordable treatments, including insulin, to ensure the survival of people living with diabetes.

Sincerely, 

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières USA