On behalf of Dr. The consignment contained 3, vails of Protaphane, 1, vails of Actrapid, 1, vials of Mixtard, doses of Glucagen donated by Novo Nordisk and government of Denmark.
Human insulin is used to control blood sugar level in people with type 1 diabetes and Glucagen is an injectable antidote for injectable Insulin; it is indicated in case an individual becomes hypoglycemic due to high dose in Insulin. Following the confirmation of COVID in Liberia, findings from observation in the field indicated that there was a relative decrease in health facility attendance, initially in health facilities in Monrovia and its immediate environs and then later to other parts of the country.
This was further validated by a review conducted by the Health Management Information System HMIS at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Liberia which indicated a relative decline in key performance indicators in , compared to the same period in Findings from this review also revealed an overall 23 percent reduction in health facility attendance with 20 percent reduction in the number of new cases of Diabetes Mellitus diagnosed in health facilities in the first quarter of , compared to the same period in The low rates of testing and management of diabetes cases is of great concern, considering the fact that people living with Non-Communicable Diseases NCDs , including Diabetes Mellitus, have increased risk of developing severe COVIDrelated illness and death.
Moreover, findings from a WHO survey conducted in May by countries also revealed that, prevention and treatment services for NCDs have been severely disrupted since the COVID pandemic, with low-income countries like Liberia being the most affected. Emphasizing the need for people suffering from Diabetes Mellitus to have access to such live-saving medicine, Dr.
The Honorable Minster of Health, Dr. Peter Clement in supporting the GOL at this critical time. Jallah said, in order to keep people who are suffering from Diabetes Mellitus safe by regulating their blood sugar levels, the consignment of Human Insulin and Glucagen will be distributed to major health facilities and will be used to treat diabetic patients free of charge.
