Type 1 diabetes in Laos, 2016-2021

Before 2016, no child was known to survive type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Laos, a lower-middle income country (LMIC) in South-east Asia. In partnership with the Laos government, a non-government organization (NGO) called Action4Diabetes (A4D) has since been providing insulin, blood glucose monitoring kits, HbA1c testing, and emergency hospital expenses for Laotian children and young people (CYP) with T1D, and education for healthcare professionals. Here, we report the demographics and clinical outcomes of the CYP with T1D enrolled in A4D's Clinic Support Programme.

We collated and analyzed data on all known CYP with T1D in Laos, including gender, age and presentation at diagnosis, duration of diabetes, hospital admissions, and glycemic control during follow-up.

Fifty-three CYP (30 male; 57%) were diagnosed with T1D at a mean age of 11.3 years. Thirty CYP (57%) presented in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis. As at 16 August 2021, mean duration of T1D was 2.3 years. Forty-five CYP (85%) remained on active follow-up. Mean HbA1c for all 53 CYP was 8.7% (72 mmol/mol). Average HbA1c for the CYP in the age ranges of 1-5 years, 6-10 years, 11-15 years, 16-20 years, and 21-25 years, was 7.9% (63 mmol/mol), 8.2% (66), 8.4% (68), 9.4% (79), and 8.4% (68), respectively.

This is the first report on the status of T1D care in Laos, achieved through close partnership between the government and an NGO from 2016 to 2021. More global efforts to improve T1D care outcomes in Laos and other LMICs are urgently needed.