Tackling the diabetes care crisis in the Pacific: Insulin and medicine access

Access to insulin and other diabetes treatments is an urgent and dire priority in the Pacific – a region often left out of global health and commercial initiatives. A new paper builds on research from the Access to Medicine Foundation, extensive research conducted in the region on the state of diabetes care, as well as stakeholder consultations, to offer practical approaches for optimising commercially viable routes to improve access and manage the growing need in Pacific island countries and areas (PICs).  

The paper focuses on nine PICs that are covered by the 2024 Access to Medicine Index: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. By examining how insulin and other diabetes medicines are being made commercially available in these PICs, the Foundation identifies key issues that need to be addressed to bridge the access gaps in the region. 

Through its Access to Medicine Index, Diabetes Care and Generic & Biosimilar Medicines Programmes, the Access to Medicine Foundation will continue to monitor access progress across the diabetes continuum of care, as well as other therapeutic areas covered by our work.