A4D is the only UK-based charity providing comprehensive partnership programmes with defined local diabetes clinics, which guarantees ongoing supplies of free insulin, blood glucose meters and hospital emergency funds, and which actively tracks HbA1c outcomes across the majority of supported countries in South-East Asia. The article has been written by Associate Prof May Ng, a leading expert in Type 1 Diabetes care based in the UK, and the co-founders of Action4Diabetes.

This is the first report of Type 1 diabetes care and glycaemic outcomes in Laos between 2016 to 2021. In 2016 to 2021, mean HbA1c was 9.0% (75 mmol/mol) overall. There is a great need for more global efforts to improve T1D care outcomes in Laos and other LMICs in SEA. Close partnership between NGOs and governments has enormous potential in developing sustainable and locally owned solutions for improving diabetes care in CYP with T1D in these LMIC.

The publication has been developed by A4D and Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane, Lao. Data from 2016 to 2021 were reviewed including gender, age and presentation at diagnosis, HbA1c and hospital admissions.

It has been presented at the International Society of Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes ISPAD 2021 (oral presentation) and at the British Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Conference 2021.

You can access the publication in Endocrine Abstracts or download the ISPAD 2021 Abstract Book Pediatric Diabetes (publication on page 20)

This is the first reported paper on T1D diabetes management practices within the healthcare systems and glycaemic outcomes in SEA countries. Variations in multidisciplinary team support are shown and high DKA rates at diagnosis are reported in all the SEA countries. The average glycaemic index in the five SEA countries reviewed between 2020 to 2021 were 83mmol/mol (9.7%). Health systems in LMICs lack universality and in SEA countries where healthcare coverage for diabetes such as access to insulin and blood glucose monitoring kits either does not exist or is limited.

It has been presented at the International Society of Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes ISPAD 2021 (oral presentation) and at the British Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Conference 2021.

You can access the publication in Endocrine Abstracts or download the ISPAD 2021 Abstract Book Pediatric Diabetes (publication on page 132)

This will be the first publication of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) outcomes in five low-middle-income countries (LMICs)- Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. The information obtained has been possible due to partnership programmes of non-government organisation Action4Diabetes (A4D) with defined local hospitals through a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the governments in SEA that guarantees ongoing supplies of free insulin, blood glucose meter supplies, HbA1c tests and hospital emergency funds.
Participants: Between 2020 and 2021, 383 children and young people with T1D who were active in the A4D supported programmes were reviewed including information on health coverage, multidisciplinary team management, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) on admission and insulin regimen.

You can access the publication here or download via the link below as PDF file.