Parents of children with diabetes may spend between one hundred thousand naira and one hundred and fifty thousand naira annually on insulin, monitoring devices, including a glucometer, and test strips. A pediatric endocrinologist, Professor Tamunopriye Jaja, revealed this in an interview with our reporter. Dr. Jaja noted that there are different types of diabetes in children, but the most common is Type 1 diabetes.
Professor Jaja further explained that Type 1 diabetes in a child occurs when the child is unable to produce insulin, a hormone needed to manage the sugar or glucose from food. She stated that most children with Type 1 diabetes require insulin for life. She also explained that, in this condition, the body develops antibodies that destroy insulin-producing cells. When the body cannot produce enough insulin to manage glucose, blood sugar levels rise dangerously high.
Professor Jaja, who is also the consultant in charge of the Diabetes and Endocrine Unit at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), highlighted the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes in children. She noted that in some churches, pastors doubt how a child can have diabetes, emphasizing that diabetes is possible in children and its symptoms are not hidden. Prof. Jaja further explained that symptoms include:
Bed-wetting in a child who was previously dry at night.
Frequent urination.
Excessive eating and drinking.
Unexplained weight loss.
Frequent illnesses.
She advised that parents take children who are frequently ill, especially those with a family history of diabetes, to the hospital for regular checks.
Meanwhile, a professor of diabetes and endocrinology, Sunday Chinenye, dismissed the misconception that diabetes in adults is caused by consuming sugary foods while growing up. He explained that diabetes occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to lower blood sugar levels.
Professor Sunday Chinenye
Professor Chinenye added that many Nigerians living with diabetes also have high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels. He stated that treatment goes beyond managing high blood sugar alone; it includes addressing high blood pressure and cholesterol. Consequently, diabetic patients often take three to five medications to manage these associated conditions.
On the rising cost of antidiabetic medications, Professor Jaja emphasized the need for Nigeria to produce pharmaceutical drugs locally. She called for the removal of customs tariffs on antidiabetic drugs and consumables. Furthermore, she urged the government to expand health insurance coverage to include a larger percentage of the population.
