KENYA – The Government of Kenya has entered into a strategic partnership deal with Danish multinational pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk for the supply of essential medical commodities targeted at improving the treatment and self-care of type 1 diabetes in children.
The Changing Diabetes in Children (CDiC) Project seeks to utilize the parties’ respective competencies and strengths with a view of improving the well-being of people living with diabetes in Kenya as well as improve diabetes care for children with type 1 diabetes in the country.
The partnership will also improve access to human insulin and related products including blood glucose monitoring equipment and supplies for children and adolescents with diabetes while the Kenyan government explores ways of integrating program components into the country’s health care delivery.
In 2012, Novo Nordisk, Government of Kenya, Roche Diabetes and Kenya Diabetes Management and Information Centre (DMI) partnered to launch the Changing Diabetes in Children program to ensure that children with type 1 diabetes have access to proper treatment and support.
Under the recent deal, Kenya and Novo Nordisk have agreed on how to improve and establish infrastructure of diabetes clinics and supply of medical and laboratory equipment along with training and education of healthcare professionals working on type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents.
The Changing Diabetes in Children program was established to identify solutions that could lead to an integrated approach to diagnosis, treatment and diabetes control for children living with type 1 diabetes.
The collaboration partners have agreed on educating children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their families, the establishment of a registry for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and the sharing of insights and outcomes to the continuous improvement of the health care program.
According to the Ministry of Health, Kenya is to establish additional diabetes type 1 clinics and build the capacity of health care workers in a bid to reach more children living with diabetes with Novo Nordisk committing US$16M to support the program for the next 3 years.
Following the collaboration with Novo Nordisk, Kenya will be obligated to progressively integrate the CDiC Project into the national health system as well as ensure that diabetes is included in the national agenda for non-communicable diseases in line with the sustainable development goals.
The Ministry of Health revealed that Novo Nordisk will provide relevant diagnostic, screening and monitoring equipment to be used for organization and operation of the diabetes clinics and patient registry in Kenya.
The ministry further disclosed that Novo Nordisk will provide free-of-charge human insulin to cover the treatment needs of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents up to 25 years of age in health facilities supported by the CDiC Project.
The multinational pharmaceutical company will be expected to provide support for training of health care professionals in management of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents as well as support awareness campaigns in collaboration with different stakeholders, the ministry highlights.
The pharma giant will also be expected to support diabetes self-management education for children, adolescents and their families including developing CDiC Project patient education materials as well as support the improvement of infrastructure in some of the diabetes clinics as determined by the ministry of health.
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