Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a life-threatening auto-immune disease characterized by an inherited and/or acquired deficiency in the production of insulin by the pancreas or due to insulin resistance of body tissues (Shah, 2007). Type 1 diabetes has been described as the most common endocrine disorder affecting children and adolescents and is also one of the most common chronic illnesses of childhood (Ryden, Nevander, Johnson et al., 1994; Graue, Wentzel-Larsen, Hanestad, Batsvik, & Sovik, 2003). This disease requires intensive management with insulin therapy, administered via multiple daily insulin injections (MDI) or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII).

Despite the finding that insulin has been available in the developed world for almost 80 years it still fails to reach those who need it in the developing world (Beran, 2005). Without appropriate access to insulin, children with Type 1 diabetes in developing countries face increased morbidity and mortality associated with the inability to access appropriate insulin treatment.

Reduced access to insulin in Latin America (Nicaragua), Africa (Sudan and Mozambique) and India may be explained by the lack of fairly distributed healthcare provided via tiered public healthcare systems in many developing countries. As well, access to insulin may also be influenced by the inequitable distribution of power resources, whereby richer, more powerful, countries may have improved access to insulin as a result of increased influence. Lastly, in many developing countries, pharmaceutical policies which attempt to improve access to medications, including insulin, through subsidizing costs, reducing patent protection, or increasing use of generics, all meet with great resistance from more powerful and influential countries.

It is necessary to coordinate efforts of interest groups working towards improving efforts to increase access to insulin in developing countries and in turn, compelling more powerful groups to provide insulin at reasonable costs. This would contribute to improving access to insulin and ensuring attainment of the highest standard of health, one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition (World Health Organization [WHO], 1946).