(From left) Roche Diagnostics Malaysia general manager Heng Chai Yin, Koh, MEMS vice-president Prof Dr Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin, Dr Mohd Azman, Dr Nurain, Anand and Novo Nordisk Malaysia vice-president and general manager Serdar Kizilcik at the launch of the project.
A long-term project focused on improving quality of care for children and young adults with type 1 diabetes has been launched.
Called Changing Diabetes in Children (CDiC), the project sees Novo Nordisk partnering with Malaysian Endocrine and Metabolic Society (MEMS) and pharmaceutical company Roche.
The project involves children and young adults with type 1 diabetes receiving free glucose monitoring supplies (glucometer and glucose test strips).
With its launch, CDiC will contribute to improving access to care, in line with this year’s World Diabetes Day theme of “Access to Diabetes Care”.
The partnership was launched by Health Ministry Medical Development Division director Datuk Dr Mohd Azman Yacob, and was attended by project partners, healthcare professionals in diabetes care, as well as patients with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers.
At the launch, attendees learned about the treatment landscape in the country, current management of type 1 diabetes as well as patient journeys and challenges from MEMS president and CDiC Malaysia chair Dr Nurain Mohd Noor, Novo Nordisk South-East Asia corporate vice-president Anand Shetty and Roche Diabetes Care Asia-Pacific mature markets cluster head Bryan Koh.
Dr Nurain said, “The misdiagnosis rate of Malaysian children with type 1 diabetes is alarmingly high as children and young adults are often diagnosed with alternative conditions like respiratory or gastrointestinal illnesses.
“To address this pressing issue and ensure timely and accurate diagnoses and care, initiatives such as Changing Diabetes in Children are important for more timely interventions and improved care.
“The project will also equip frontliners with knowledge and management skills to help patients with type 1 diabetes.”
Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of childhood diabetes in the country, accounting for 73% to 77% of all childhood cases, and the International Diabetes Federation reported 955 type 1 diabetes cases in Malaysian children aged up to 19 in 2021.
Nationally, the misdiagnosis rate for children with type 1 diabetes is 38.7%, which highlights the need for improving both awareness and access to care.
The project aims to bridge critical gaps in diagnosis, support self-monitoring of blood glucose and patient knowledge by building on existing efforts to address local barriers to healthcare, as well as support the development of comprehensive diabetes care solutions and integration with local healthcare systems.
Specific components of CDiC include providing educational workshops for patients and their caregivers, training healthcare professionals in diagnosis and management of the disease, establishing or refurbishing diabetes resource centres, developing a national registry, research on type 1 diabetes management and raising public awareness of type 1 diabetes.
Anand said, “Our purpose is to drive change to defeat chronic diseases such as diabetes, by pioneering scientific breakthroughs and improving the lives of patients.
“With our CDiC partners in Malaysia, we aim to improve the lives of vulnerable type 1 diabetes patients by building a holistic system of care for children and young adults under the age of 25 living with type 1 diabetes.”
Koh said, “We are committed to enhancing access to essential diabetes care for children and young adults living with type 1 diabetes through building a sustainable continuum of care to support them in growing up well and fulfilling their full potential.”
