IDF Task Force on Insulin, Test Strips and Other Diabetes Supplies
| The Task Force | About Insulin | Task Force Initiatives |
| Objectives | Insulin fact file | Response to emergencies |
| Core activities | Insulin colour code | Position statements |
| Members | Insulin producers | Twinning Initiative |
| Partnerships | Self-monitoring equipment suppliers | Surveys |
Insulin is an essential drug according to the World Health Organization (WHO) but it is not yet universally accessible to all those who need it in the majority of the world's countries. Most people with diabetes who live in countries where insulin is not subsidized cannot afford to buy this life-saving drug. Test strips and other diabetes supplies, such as blood glucose monitoring equipment and oral drugs, are also often too expensive for many people with diabetes. However, the lack of access to insulin, test strips and other diabetes supplies is not just a question of supply and demand or affordability. Problems of distribution, storage, transportation, withdrawal of animal insulin and taxation combined with traditions and beliefs, limited or inappropriate access to healthcare, lack of diabetes education, and appropriate nutrition are also factors that perpetuate the lack of insulin and diabetes supplies for those who require it to survive.
The problem is made worse in many developing countries by the lack of good epidemiological data on diabetes and adequate healthcare facilities. In addition, the epidemic of obesity in many countries compounds the problems faced by people with diabetes.
Special Issue of Diabetes Voice on Insulin, Test Strips and Other Diabetes Supplies
