Availability, price and affordability of health technologies for the management of diabetes

Overview

The WHO list of priority medical devices for management of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/341967, describes those health technologies required for diagnostics, monitoring and treatment by the different levels of care. The management of diabetes requires medical devices, which need to be available and affordable, besides being safe and of good quality. This report includes a scoping review of relevant information on price and availability of the following medical devices: blood glucose meters and test strips, lancets, syringes, blood pressure measurement devices, glycated haemoglobin analysers at the health facility and the price of tests and devices to individuals and the outcomes of a survey. The Global Diabetes Compact, as well as the World Health Assembly Resolutions 74.4, on Reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases through strengthening prevention and control of Diabetes, and 76.5 on Strengthening diagnostics capacity, outline the importance of availability and affordability of quality assured medical devices for diabetes management.