Diabetes sufferers worst hit in Malta, Agius calls for national catch-up to EU standard
PN candidate for Europe Peter Agius calls for national effort to improve access to new medicines for diabetes patients
14 November 2023, 11:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Diabetes patients above 35 years of age in Malta are still waiting for the Continuous Glucose Monitors which would mark a quality leap in the daily lives
The PN candidate for Europe Peter Agius has called for a national effort to improve access to new medicines for diabetes patients.
Malta has one of the highest diabetes rates in Europe with over 10% of Maltese having to live with diabetes every day. “It is shameful that we leave over one in ten of our dear ones without proper coverage for specialised medicines which are improving the lives of so many patients across the EU where diabetes medicines are widely available and covered through national health insurance,” Agius said.
Agius said that as European data shows Malta last in the list of EU countries when it comes to public health coverage of medicines with only 6% of medicines covered as compared to 45% in Europe on average.
“Notwithstanding several electoral promises, diabetes patients above 35 years of age in Malta are still waiting for the Continuous Glucose Monitors which would mark a quality leap in the daily lives. Many other diabetes type 2 patients are also left without key medicines such as the GLP-1 receptor agonists drugs which prevent health complications for diabetes patients and which are widely covered with national health insurance schemes in the rest of Europe,” Agius said.
Comparative data compiled by the European Federation of Pharmaceuticals Industries and Associations for all EU member States shows that Malta is last of the list when it comes to availability of medicines.
Year after year, the number of new medicines available on the market in Malta is roughly 10% of those available in mainland Europe.
The situation is worse when it comes to the actual coverage by national public health and reimbursement of medicines through national schemes including POYC and availability in hospitals where the WAIT (Waiting to Access Innovative Therapies) report shows that whereas on average in Europe 45% of medicines are covered, in Malta that rate drops to 6%.
Malta is also the last country in which patients have access to new medicines with a whopping four years having to pass before new medicines reach patients in Malta, while this period is normally from one year to 18 months in most EU countries.
“On World Diabetes Day I launch an appeal to government to take diabetes seriously. I call for a national effort to improve access to new medicines for diabetes patients. Diabetes can be less of an issue to live with proper care and availability of latest medicines, whereas it can be a daily headache and a life-threatening condition without such medicines,” Agius said.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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