Advocacy & Policy
Charity helps one family. Policy helps every family. We take the case for Type 1 Diabetes directly to state health departments — with costings, clinical standards and evidence.
What we are requesting from government
Presented to the National Health Mission and state health departments across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Monthly supplies, free of cost
- Analogue insulin — Aspart, Glulisine or Lispro penfills
- Insulin Degludec or Glargine penfills
- 180 glucose test strips
- 30 insulin pen needles
- 30 glucometer lancets
A government T1D identity card
An official identity card for children and adults living with Type 1 Diabetes, so that families can access treatment and supplies at designated hospitals on specified days without having to prove their diagnosis over and over again.
Dedicated Type 1 Diabetes clinics
A centralised medical centre staffed by an endocrinologist, a diabetes educator and a dietician, where people with Type 1 Diabetes can get both treatment and medical supplies in one place.
Six states have already done it
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and West Bengal have established Type 1 Diabetes clinics in hospitals, providing essential diabetes supplies and treatment.
In Telangana, the state government currently provides free T1D-suitable analogue insulin at:
- Gandhi Hospital, Hyderabad
- Osmania Hospital, Hyderabad
- MGM Hospital, Warangal
- Nizamabad Government Hospital
We are asking Andhra Pradesh to follow, starting with a Type 1 Diabetes care centre at Anantapuram Government Hospital.
The scale of the need in our states
According to the T1D Index from Breakthrough T1D, India has around 1 million children and adults living with Type 1 Diabetes — the world's highest number — rising at 6.7% a year.
Across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, around 2,000 children and adults with T1D are associated with Sweet Souls alone.
And what it would cost
Per patient, per year, through the public health system:
Insulin, test strips, lancets, syringes and a lancing device — a complete year of survival.
Gaps in the current standard of care
Our submissions are built on the government's own clinical and budget documents. These are the specific gaps we are asking to close.
Diagnostics missing at District Hospital level
- HbA1c by HPLC method only — the automated biochemistry analyser method is not adequate
- C-Peptide
- Anti-TTG IgA and Total IgA
- Fundoscopy
- Foot examination
Commodities missing from NLEM
Insulin itself is on the National List of Essential Medicines. Everything needed to actually use it is not:
- 40 IU and 100 IU insulin syringes
- Glucometer and glucose test strips
- Lancing device and lancets
- Insulin Glargine cartridges with compatible pens
Our advocacy documents
The costings, budget guidance and clinical standards behind every submission we make.
What Type 1 Diabetes Care Costs the Health System
Rs. 16,500 per patient per year. The full costing behind our request to state governments - one-time setup and annual recurring cost per child.
District Level Budget Guidance for NCDs in Children and Adolescents
Annexure 12 of the national NCD document - what a district can already budget for children's NCD care including Type 1 Diabetes.
Living with Type 1 Diabetes is expensive, and families are running out of options
Many children and adults cannot afford analogue insulin and glucometer strips. That leads to unhealthy glucose levels, and to diabetes-related complications appearing in the earliest stages of life. Every month a policy is delayed is a month a child goes without.