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DDEA Global Health Podcast
How can global policy efforts better support and manage care in low-resource settings worldwide?
Type 1 diabetes requires lifelong and carefully monitored treatment. However, low- and middle-income countries face difficulties in providing optimal treatment due to limited resources and infrastructure.
In its first series, The DDEA Global Health Podcast dives into the challenges in type 1 diabetes care and research in low- and middle-income countries, and meets experts who are paving the way to progress with concrete actions.
The topics of this series include: lived experiences, the WHO Global Diabetes Compact, data foundations, access to insulin and supplies, healthcare systems, philanthropic programmes, and advocacy.
Producer and publisher: Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy (www.ddeacademy.dk)
Audio editor: Mediehuset Periskop
DDEA Global Health Podcast
Episode 1: Realities of Type 1 Diabetes in Peru – A Story from the Amazon
When a 12-year-old girl travels by boat across the Amazon to seek urgent care for her diabetes, it highlights the everyday struggles faced by thousands. In this opening episode, we hear from Micaela Villanueva, a medical student from Peru, who shares her experience witnessing the real-life consequences of limited access to self-monitoring and insulin in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Her story sets the tone for the podcast series, emphasising the importance of awareness, equity, and innovation in global diabetes care.
Key Topics Discussed:
✔ Barriers to type 1 diabetes care in Peru and other LMICs
✔ The high cost and limited availability of glucometers and test strips
✔ The absence of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in public healthcare
✔ How geographical distance deepens healthcare inequality
✔ The burden of diabetes on families living below the poverty line
✔ Why self-monitoring and insulin access are essential to quality of life
✔ The importance of patient empowerment and local advocacy
Host:
- Gretchen Repasky, Education and Networking Manager, Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy, Denmark
Guest:
- Micaela Villanueva, Medical Student at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru
Find more resources at:
DDEA
World Diabetes Foundation
Credits and Contact Information:
Producer and publisher: Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy (www.ddeacademy.dk)
Audio editor: Mediehuset Periskop
This podcast was produced in connection with the international meeting Type 1 Diabetes, Advancing a Global Roadmap for Improved and Integrated Care in Low-Resource Settings, held in early February 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This meeting was organised and hosted by the World Diabetes Foundation, the Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva, and the East African Diabetes Study Group.