
The National Association of Persons Living with Diabetes has urged the Nigerian Federal Government to subsidize essential medications and foodstuffs.
This plea comes in response to the skyrocketing costs that have left many diabetic patients in dire straits. Bernard Enyia, the National Coordinator of the group, highlighted the severity of the situation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
"The cost of foodstuffs and essential commodities, including life-saving drugs, has skyrocketed," Enyia lamented.
"This has made it extremely difficult for diabetic patients to afford their daily medications."
The price hike is staggering. Insulin injections, which cost ₦4,000 in 2022, now range between ₦19,000 and ₦24,000. Syringes, once priced at ₦50, have soared to ₦600 each.
Enyia explained that patients require two syringes daily, translating to monthly expenses of ₦36,000 just for syringes, excluding the cost of insulin and other necessary medications.
"My monthly expenditure on diabetic care exceeds ₦100,000, with patients experiencing complications facing even higher costs," he added.
Enyia also pointed out that the current economic challenges have exacerbated the plight of diabetic patients, leading to preventable deaths.
Many are now resorting to traditional medicine due to the unaffordability of conventional treatments, a move Enyia described as risking severe health consequences.
"The alarm raised by the group is intended to create awareness about the financial hardship faced by patients," Enyia emphasized.
He further criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent Executive Order aimed at easing the importation of food and pharmaceutical materials for local production, stating that it did not significantly alleviate their plight.
"Diabetes medications are not produced in Nigeria, and the machines used for blood sugar testing are also imported. As a result, prices have reached an all-time high," he noted.
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