Persons living with diabetes in Cross River State have issued a passionate appeal to Governor Bassey Otu to urgently intervene in what they describe as a worsening “diabetes epidemic” in the state.
In an open letter signed by Comrade Bernard Enyia, Coordinator of the Network of Persons Living with Diabetes in Cross River, the group decried government neglect, the lack of budgetary provision for diabetes care, and the soaring cost of insulin and other essential drugs.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelEnyia noted that despite multiple advocacy campaigns including a peaceful march to the Governor’s Office, Ministry of Health, and State House of Assembly in August 2024 the plight of diabetes patients has been met with “deaf ears.”
“Many have died, several others are dying, and many more will die because of lack of access to essential medicines and services,” the letter stated.
The group faulted the state government for excluding diabetes from its health work plan, pointing out that while free tests and treatments exist for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and leprosy, patients battling diabetes are left to shoulder their medical expenses in full.
They also raised concerns that the Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme does not cover insulin and other key diabetes medicines, a development they described as discriminatory and inconsistent with the goal of universal health coverage.
For more than 15 years, the letter noted, Cross River has failed to mark World Diabetes Day, unlike other disease awareness campaigns actively supported by the state.
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Enyia, who also leads the state chapter of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria and heads the Calabar Blue Circle Lions Club, highlighted his personal and group efforts to fill the gap left by government inaction. These included donations of test strips to health facilities, free screenings for security agencies, and voluntary participation in outreach programmes.
The group’s demands to Governor Otu include:
- Appointment of a diabetes desk officer at the Ministry of Health.
- Inclusion of diabetes interventions in the state budget.
- Expansion of the state health insurance scheme to cover insulin.
- Training of health workers as diabetes educators across all LGAs.
- Integration of diabetes care into the primary healthcare system.
- Subsidy on diabetes drugs and free blood sugar/BP tests in hospitals.
- Support for amputees with free wheelchairs.
- Annual observance of World Diabetes Day.
They further appealed for small business grants and livelihood support for persons living with diabetes, many of whom are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group warned that unless urgent action is taken, the diabetes crisis will continue to claim lives and deepen inequality in the state’s health system.
They stressed that Governor Otu has a chance to change the narrative by making diabetes care part of his administration’s inclusive governance agenda.
“Your intervention can save lives, reduce needless suffering, and secure your legacy as a governor who stood for the vulnerable,” the letter noted.
By linking the appeal to both public health outcomes and political accountability, the patients argue that the time to act is now.
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