Objective
To reduce the disparities in health outcomes for people living with T1D around the world, this project aims to establish a more impactful, sustainable and cohesive approach across partners working to strengthen T1D diagnosis and care in low- and middle-income countries.
To this purpose, this project will support Breakthrough T1D and other partners to:
1. Develop a comprehensive, evidence-based global T1D access strategy, articulating a portfolio of high-impact initiatives and targets to sustainably improve the lives of people with T1D in LMICs.
2. Develop practical and best practice-inspired recommendations for the design and establishment of a T1D Partnership to coordinate efforts and investments towards these strategic priorities.
Background Rationale
Across the globe, more than 9.4 million people are living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). This burden is growing – by 2040 there are expected to be almost 17.5 million people living with T1D, among which 4.2M will be children and adolescents under 25. Currently, almost half (47%) of people living with T1D reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and by 2040 this share is expected to grow to 56%. In LMICs, poor access to care means many people die before they are diagnosed and receive treatment, and for those on treatment, there are significant gaps in access to the highest clinical standard of care. The resulting disparities in health outcomes for people living with T1D around the world are enormous, with life expectancy at just 24 years in low-income countries. In contrast, in high-income countries (HICs) life expectancy for people living with T1D is comparable to those without.
To reduce this disparity and improve the lives of people with T1D in LMIC, substantive funding is being invested, with an estimated annual expenditure of US$100-150 million from key funders and industry partners. However, a lack of coordination, government ownership and evidence on comparative impact/strategies, stymies the impact and sustainability of these investments. Hence, there is a need for a shared, evidence-driven strategy to consolidate partners’ efforts and investments towards the most impactful and sustainable initiatives to strengthen T1D diagnosis and care in LMICs.
Description of Project
Across the globe, more than 9.4 million people are living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). This burden is growing – by 2040 there are expected to be almost 17.5 million people living with T1D, among which 4.2M will be children and adolescents under 25. Currently, almost half (47%) of people living with T1D reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and by 2040 this share is expected to grow to 56%. In LMICs, poor access to care means many people die before they are diagnosed and receive treatment, and for those on treatment, there are significant gaps in access to the highest clinical standard of care. The resulting disparities in health outcomes for people living with T1D around the world are enormous, with life expectancy at just 24 years in low-income countries. In contrast, in high-income countries (HICs) life expectancy for people living with T1D is comparable to those without.
To reduce this disparity and improve the lives of people with T1D in LMIC, substantive funding is being invested, with an estimated annual expenditure of US$100-150 million from key funders and industry partners. However, a lack of coordination, government ownership and evidence on comparative impact/strategies, stymies the impact and sustainability of these investments.
To achieve a more impactful, sustainable and cohesive approach to strengthen T1D diagnosis and care in low- and middle-income countries, the project aims to collaborate with Breakthrough T1D and other partners to:
1. Develop a comprehensive global T1D access strategy, articulating a portfolio of the highest-impact initiatives for sustainable improvement of the lives of people with T1D in LMICs. This strategy will be informed by existing research, a resource and stakeholder mapping, and country-level engagement with the T1D community and other key stakeholders.
2. Develop practical and best practice-inspired recommendations for the design and establishment of a T1D Partnership to coordinate efforts and investments towards these strategic priorities. These design options for Partnership governance, management and investment models will be grounded in the requirements of the global T1D access strategy and its operationalization.
Anticipated Outcome
This project will deliver the following outcomes and deliverables, aimed at achieving a more impactful, sustainable and cohesive approach to strengthen T1D diagnosis and care in low- and middle-income countries:
1. A comprehensive, evidence-based global T1D access strategy, articulating a portfolio of initiatives and targets to sustainably improve the lives of people with T1D in LMICs. This strategy will be informed by existing research, a resource and stakeholder mapping, and country-level engagement with the T1D community and other key stakeholders.
2. Best practice-inspired recommendations for the design and establishment of a T1D Partnership to coordinate efforts and investments towards these strategic priorities. These design options for Partnership governance, management and investment models will be grounded in the requirements of the global T1D access strategy and its operationalization.
Relevance to T1D
This project aims to enhance the impact, sustainability and cohesiveness of efforts and investments across partners working to strengthen T1D diagnosis and care in low- and middle-income countries.