http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/insulin-for-syrians-with-diabetes/
Access to insulin is a hot topic for many in the United States, but our struggles here pale in comparison to what those with diabetes in developing countries face every single day.
A few years ago, we introduced the #Insulin4All initiative created by charitable group T1International, which aims to bring the life-sustaining medicine to people across the globe who need it most. Its founder, longtime type 1 Elizabeth Rowley in the UK, shared her story here at the "Mine in November 2015.
Now, T1International is focusing their efforts on a specific Middle Eastern country where adults and kids with diabetes are hard-pressed to get the basics for survival. The group is running a fundraising initiative throughout July called Insulin for Syrians, and we"re happy to welcome Elizabeth back to explain this campaign and why it"s so important.
Surviving Diabetes in Syria, by Elizabeth Rowley
A man I spoke to in Syria with a child with type 1 diabetes says getting access to insulin and basic life necessities is extremely difficult, to the point that he tried to flee to Europe by sea. But at the risk of facing harsh sea waters and after seeing pictures of kids who drowned in the water, he thought twice and remains in his country – doing all he can to keep his son alive, while realizing that it is impossible for him to live like other children.
That father’s struggle is a common one, and it highlights the urgent need for insulin access in Syria. That is the theme behind our Insulin for Syrians campaign, being organized by the charity T1International. We are encouraging people to donate money, which will go to the supply of insulin and other diabetes supplies to families in Syrian cities that have been cut off from aid.
For me, this is all very personal. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 4 and have led a pretty privileged life, despite paying high costs for health insurance in the USA. I came to London in 2011 to study international development and officially founded T1International in 2013 after having studied diabetes around the world extensively.
We work closely with people around the world to advocate for better access to insulin, diabetes supplies, healthcare, education and support for ALL people with type 1 diabetes, no matter where they live. We are working towards sustainable solutions and a day where no on has to wait and worry whether they will be able to get their next vial of insulin or vial of test strips. We are particularly aware of the skyrocketing prices of insulin in the USA right now, and are committed to change on this front as well.
After publishing several articles about the situation in Syria and connecting with people facing the crisis of war along with type 1 diabetes, the trustees of our group decided that we needed to do something urgently. We have been thrilled to see the Diabetes Community uniting behind this initiative to support our many brothers and sisters with type 1 diabetes who might otherwise not make it.
Some of the biggest struggles faced by people with diabetes who remain in Syria include access to only expired or damaged insulin and no availability of diabetes specialists. A low estimate from T1International’s partner, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), notes that there are at least 2,000 Syrians who are in urgent need of insulin, syringes and blood glucose monitoring supplies. In all likelihood, there are very many more in need.
In the war-torn city of Aleppo, the road is heavily targeted by snipers, shells and air strikes, and it is exposed from two sides – the Kurdish militias and the government forces. The SAMS Logistics Manager told T1International: ‘‘The doctors and the medical aid providers threaten themselves to deliver the insulin and the other medical aids to more than 300,000 living in the city. Many civilians are killed every day. They are facing many difficulties in their life, even if they did not need medical service. The hospitals are the main targets of the Syrian and Russian air strikes.”
SAMS is one of the only groups continuing to operate in some of the worst parts of Syria, including Aleppo and Idlib where the situation is especially dangerous. They are doing their best to keep hospitals safe, despite the ongoing targeting of those facilities.
But what SAMS is doing is not enough, because they simply don’t have the funds, and that’s where our T1International campaign and the Diabetes Community come into play.
A donation of just $15 can provide someone with insulin for at least a month, and $135 would be enough to provide approximately one year’s worth of insulin and a number of life-saving test strips to monitor blood sugar levels and adjust insulin dosages. With this donation, you will truly give the gift of life.
Insulin and other supplies will be purchased in Turkey from various providers as there is little to no insulin available in Syria now. It will be brought over on a reefer truck by the incredible SAMS staff who cross extremely dangerous roads to get back to Syria. They know that although it is unsafe, there are thousands who need insulin urgently. There are only a small number of operating hospitals left in Syria, many of them underground. These will be the main points of distribution of the insulin and supplies, where supplies can be kept cool.
Your donation will support people like Safiah, who lives in Deir Azzour city, close to the Iraqi borders. In compiling this post, Safiah shared her story:
‘‘I work in the only functioning pharmacy here. We do not have insulin in our pharmacy, so I have to drive about 4 hours every month to go to Alraqqa city to get the insulin for myself and the other patients. The resources are very limited, hence we get supplies for one month at a time. One day, the power went off due to the shell bombing in Deir Azzour, and the city became under very strict siege. It was time for me to travel to get the insulin supplies, but I could not leave because it was so risky. A week later the road became safer, but due to the lack of insulin I was very sick so I could not travel to get the insulin, but a friend of mine did."
Safiah continued: "Unfortunately for some, this happened too late. During the week without the insulin supplies a 7-year-old boy died due to severe DKA. However, we were able to save a 14-year-old girl’s life with the insulin my friend brought back. I so wish we had had enough supplies for an extra week to save that boy’s life."
My hope is that through T1International, we can help change this and save more lives through donations for our Insulin For Syrians campaign.
Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth. We hope our readers will help spread the word, so that we can best assist these members of our D-Community who need it most.
Disclaimer
This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn"t adhere to Healthline"s editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline"s partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.
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