Financial costs for families of children with Type 1 diabetes in lower-income countries

Abstract

Aims: To assess the direct costs of necessary consumables for minimal care of a child with Type 1 diabetes in countries where the public health system does not regularly provide such care. Methods: Supply costs were collected between January 2013 and February 2015 from questionnaires submitted by centres requesting International Diabetes Federation Life for a Child Program support. All 20 centres in 15 countries agreed to the use of their responses. Annual costs for minimal care were estimated for: 18 × 10 ml 100 IU/ml insulin, 1/3 cost of a blood glucose meter, two blood glucose test strips/day, two syringes/week, and four HbA1c tests/year. Costs were expressed in US dollars, and as % of gr..