Special Correspondent: Experts speakers emphasized the urgent need to enhance access to analog insulin to reduce life-threatening risks for thousands of children and adolescents with type-1 diabetes in Bangladesh and the Indian subcontinent.
The call was made during the unveiling of groundbreaking comparative research results on Human-1 insulin versus analog insulin, marking the first such study in Bangladesh, held on Friday.
Professor AK Azad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association and national professor, highlighted that the research findings will significantly advance diabetes care for children.
Dr. Bedowra Zabeen, head of the Pediatric Diabetes Care and Research Center (PDCRC), delivered the welcome address at the event.
The study’s findings were presented by Dr. Luo Jing, global principal investigator from the University of Pittsburgh, alongside two experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Professor Dr. Farooq Pathan, a leading diabetes specialist in Bangladesh.
Speakers noted that in least developed countries like Bangladesh, older human insulin formulations remain the primary treatment due to the high cost and limited availability of modern analog insulins, leaving many children and adolescents without access.
The research is expected to guide future national health policies, influence the World Health Organisation’s essential medicines list, and support global initiatives to improve insulin availability.
Conducted by the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (DAB) in collaboration with PIDARC and the University of Pittsburgh, this study aims to establish an evidence-based foundation for transforming diabetes care in the country.