One-Year follow-up of 50 Rural Underprivileged Type 1 Diabetes Children on Insulin Pump Therapy: Breaking Socio-Economic Barriers in Diabetes Technologies

AIMS: To audit the feasibility and clinical outcomes of fifty rural underprivileged children with Type 1 diabetes on insulin pump therapy for a one-year duration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients were audited from the Type 1 database of Madhuram Diabetes and Thyroid Centre (Unit of Idhayangal Charitable Trust www.idhayangal.org, NGO focussed on Type 1 diabetes from poor socio-economic strata). Below Poverty Line (BPL) was defined as any family earning less than Rs 2 lacs per annum. All children acted as their own controls managed on MDI for at least six months before pump start. Data were tabulated in Microsoft Excel and analysed. RESULTS: There were significant reductions in glycosylated haemoglobin at 6 months and one-year of insulin pump therapy compared to baseline pre-pump MDI values. In addition, significant reductions in diabetic ketoacidosis and severe hypoglycaemia admissions were seen. CONCLUSION: Insulin pump therapy without prejudice on indicated well-selected rural underprivileged children with Type 1 diabetes leads to clinically meaningful outcomes. NGO-Private-Industry partnership is vital to expand access of modern diabetes technologies to reach the most underprivileged.