Diabetes inequity risks damaging Europes fragile health systems Euractiv [Video]

Insulin affordability and availability across Europe are just part of the complex diabetes management dynamics challenging the EU’s fragile and diverse healthcare systems. Socioeconomic and regional disparities play their part, but so too does innovation.

Disparities in access to screening and care are plentiful, but recent developments such as Italy’s universal Type 1 diabetes (T1D) screening programme are signposting a new generation of affordable diabetes management, but the EU is far from harmonised – the learning curve is slow and steep.

If the EU doesn’t step-up, and soon, the burden on Europe’s health system will balloon rapidly and further cripple competitiveness. Europe needs an active, healthy workforce, not spiralling health bills draining innovation investment.

According to Eurostat,the prevalence of diabetes in the EU has been steadily increasing. In 2023, approximately 31.6 million people in the EU were living with diabetes, a figure projected to rise to 33.2 million by 2030. This increase …