Episode 6: Building Sustainable Diabetes Care in LMICs

What happens when a healthcare system is not equipped to support people with type 1 diabetes? In this episode, Peruvian epidemiologist María Lazo outlines the systemic gaps affecting diagnosis, treatment, and survival in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) — and offers a roadmap for sustainable change. With examples from Peru and beyond, we explore how to strengthen health systems through local leadership, data systems, and inclusive collaboration.

Key Topics Discussed:

✔ How health system structure impacts diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes
✔ Barriers to insulin access and the importance of early diagnosis
✔ Why shifting from acute to chronic care models is essential in LMICs
✔ The role of community involvement and peer support in sustainable care
✔ Lessons from high-income countries—and why context matters
✔ Challenges with digital health records, infrastructure, and workforce
✔ Political will, funding, and multi-sector collaboration
✔ The pitfalls of power imbalance in global health partnerships
✔ The need for equity-driven, climate-resilient, and corruption-resistant health systems

Hosts:

• Gretchen Repasky, Education and Networking Manager, Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy, Denmark
• Micaela Villanueva, Medical Student, Cayetano Heredia University, Peru

Guest: María Lazo, Epidemiologist, Crónicas – Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru

Find more resources at:

DDEA
World Diabetes Foundation

Credits and Contact Information:

Producer and publisher: Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy (www.ddeacademy.dk)

Audio editor: Mediehuset Periskop

This podcast was produced in connection with the international meeting Type 1 Diabetes, Advancing a Global Roadmap for Improved and Integrated Care in Low-Resource Settings, held in early February 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This meeting was organised and hosted by the World Diabetes Foundation, the Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva, and the East African Diabetes Study Group.