Diabetes in India - Kantar Health

DIABETES IN INDIAtrends, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment anddisease monitoring processes and involving 1434patients across 15 Indian cities (including Mumbaiand Delhi) and tier one towns (eg, Jaipur,Hyderabad, Lucknow, Cochin.“ … in China and Indiarecord prevalence of Type 2is predicted for 2030 … ”Family history also has a part to play … or doesit? Unlike diabetes hot spots like China and theUS – where risk factors are often hereditary –almost two-thirds of the Indian patients KantarHealth spoke to who had developed diabetesdid not have a family history of the disease.Although this discrepancy could be attributed tothe lack of formal records, this is unlikely to bethe case – were it so you would also expect to seesimilar trends in patients in rural areas in China.Cost and treatment coverageCost of care is a potential issue in India and isimpacting both diagnosis and treatment. Around50 per cent of our sample were either employed orself–employed, and just 7 per cent had employerrelatedinsurance to cover their treatment.Medical insurance penetration in India is generallylow, even among more affluent patients, anddiseases such as diabetes are often not coveredby insurance policies. The region also suffers froma lack of investment in treatments: less than 1 percent of worldwide diabetes spending is spent inIndia compared with the US, which accounts forover half of worldwide diabetes expenditure.“Medical insurancepenetration in Indiais generally low, evenamong affluent patients”As well as putting pressure on healthcareexpenditure, the economic burden – lostproductivity and economic growth – of diabeteslooms large, with the greatest burden being thecosts associated with disability and loss of life asa result of the disease and its complications.The World Health Organisation (WHO) predictednet losses in national income from diabetesand cardiovascular disease of Int$557.7bn inChina and Int$336.6bn in India between 2005and 2015. In India around 70 per cent of Type2 diabetes patients were diagnosed when theywere under 50 years-old, suggesting that theirworking life was likely to be cut short.Poor disease awarenessAlongside affordability and the lack of treatmentfunding, poor awareness of the disease isimpacting the treatment pathway. Type 2diabetes can remain undetected for many years,and diagnosis often results from associatedcomplications or accidently as the result ofan abnormal blood or urine glucose test.A recent social media study conducted amongdiabetes patients in China found they take theirdisease seriously, with over three-quarters goingonline to discuss the pros and cons of therapies,diet and lifestyle. However, it seems that Indianpatients do not have the same approach. Onlyone-third of our Indian sample could correctlyidentify the type of diabetes they have, and 93per cent were not aware of their BMI. Although50 per cent of the Indian sample was overweight(compared with a whopping 90 per cent in the USand 41 per cent in China) and recognised weightas a contributing factor in their disease state,they blame stress as being the main cause.“Alongside affordability… poor awareness ofthe disease is impactingthe treatment pathway”Patients in China and the US are activelyseeking out solutions and educational helpfor their diabetes. However, a traditionalsegmentation of patients in India revealed that37 per cent fell into the ‘careless and casual’category and another 18 per cent into the ‘defiantnon-followers’ segment, meaning that over 50 percent of our sample were in denial and/or lackedthe discipline required to comply with prescribedtreatment regimen. Three out of four had neverhad an HbA1c test and while most compliedwith doctor and specialist recommendationsregarding frequency of diagnostic tests, doctorvisits and brands purchased, around 64 per centskipped doses. Most patients were not taking anycorrective actions in terms of diet and lifestyle.Engaging the non-engagedThese non-compliant patient groups shouldbe targeted with marketing campaigns andmessages that are different from thoseaimed at compliant patient segments. Buthow can pharma influence patients in Indiawho don’t want to comply or are in denial?In common with their counterparts fromChina and the US, diabetes patients in Indiaare increasingly connecting with otherpatients using social media and other onlinecommunication tools. A random sample of1,030 Type 2 sufferers in urban India showedthat 12 per cent go online at least once a week32 www.pmlive.com/pme Pharmaceutical Market Europe November 2012