Changing Diabetes® in Children is a global partnership initiative of Novo Nordisk, Roche, the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF), local governments, patient organizations and key opinion leaders.

The partnership aims to increase access to diabetes care for children with T1DM in developing countries through comprehensive patient education, strengthening healthcare professional capacity, bringing care closer to people by establishing a network of clinics, and ensuring access to insulin and supplies. 

Over a 10-year period, the prevalence of T1DM in Indonesia increased sevenfold, from 3.88 per 100 million people in 2000 to 28.19 per 100 million people in 2010. Due to high rates of underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis, the true prevalence of T1DM in children is expected to be higher.

Novo Nordisk Indonesia and its global partners will work with the Health Ministry and the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) to improve six main pillars: improvement of existing infrastructure; training and education of healthcare professionals and diabetes educators; provision of blood glucose monitoring equipment and supplies; patient education material for children and their families; patient registry system; and awareness and advocacy.

In its first phase, the project aims to enroll 3,000 children and adolescents through a network of 20 upgraded clinics, as well as training more than 1,000 healthcare professionals to deliver treatment and care.

During the launch of the project, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said Changing Diabetes^® in Children was a collaborative program between government and the private sector to prevent and control the number of diabetes cases in Indonesia, especially diabetes in children.

“On June 25, 2021, the Health Ministry signed a cooperation agreement with PT Novo Nordisk, which is one of the partners of the Danish Government as the implementation of a government-to-government memorandum of understanding [MoU] on Health Cooperation between Indonesia and Denmark,“ he explained.

Budi noted that the Changing Diabetes^® in Children project was one of the government’s collaborative programs to increase access to healthcare services for diabetes mellitus patients, through promotive, preventive and curative activities. Diabetes was often considered an adult disease, he continued, when in fact it also occurred in children and adolescents.

“The Health Ministry urges all stakeholders, including the private sector, community and the media to participate in supporting the prevention and control of diabetes mellitus. I also want to encourage other related sectors to increase cooperation in overcoming health problems so that all existing policies can address health concerns.”

IDAI president Aman Pulungan explained that in 2018, there were estimated to be 79 million children in Indonesia. Despite children making up a significant part of the population, IDAI only recorded 1,249 Indonesian children with T1DM from 2017 to 2019.

“Treating type 1 diabetes requires comprehensive care. One of the problems we are facing in diabetes treatment is data, and together with Novo Nordisk we will create the registration system through an application which will include registry, education, dose recommendation and monitoring. I strongly believe if we can develop this comprehensive application, Indonesia will be the first country with an excellent system for children with type 1 diabetes to help them in every aspect of their treatment,” he said.

Danish Ambassador to Indonesia HE Lars Bo Larsen said both countries were partnering to improve diabetes care in accordance with the policies and targets of the Indonesian government and related associations.

“We believe Changing Diabetes® in Children will not only create awareness, but also help patients cope with their diagnosis, as well as reduce the risk of complications and the burden of treating complications on the healthcare system. With Novo Nordisk and partners’ vast network, years of experience in fighting against diabetes, commitment and long-term ambitions, we have a great hope that this initiative will make a positive impact on type-1 diabetes children in Indonesia,” he said.

Global Changing Diabetes® in Children Steering Committee member Cem Ozenc said the project aimed to reach 100,000 children and young people with type 1 diabetes globally by 2030.

“Together with global partners, we have reached 15 countries and we are glad that Indonesia has joined us as the 16^th country. It’s a very strong sign of commitment from Novo Nordisk and our social responsibility to make sure that these children can live their lives to the fullest.”

As of 2020, Changing Diabetes^® in Children has supported the establishment of type 1 diabetes care in national healthcare systems in 14 low- and middle-income countries, reaching 28,296 children and adolescents with 13,323 trained healthcare professionals.

Novo Nordisk Indonesia vice president & general manager Anand Shetty said the company’s partnership with the Health Ministry and IDAI meant that fantastic work could begin reaching vulnerable children living with type 1 diabetes throughout the country.

“We look forward to working closely with Roche in Indonesia to continue helping to solve the problem and contributing to society,” Anand said.

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