Japan Disaster and Insufficient Insulin Supply

    Roughly 7.3% of Japan's 127 million people have diabetes (that's nearly 9 million).  This information comes from an article written by Elizabeth Snouffer today called Japan Disaster and Insufficient Insulin Supply in the Northeast-Diabetes 24/7.  She writes that she has been asked how people with diabetes in Japan are managing.  Honestly, she says, it's hard to ascertain even the most critical questions, such as-how many are missing, or dead?  Japan doesn't know yet.  The public's welfare is hanging by a thread, people in the area where the tsunami hit don't have enough water or food, and are suffering the freezing cold with inadequate housing.  Diabetes seems very far down on the list indeed, but soon when life-lines begin to reappear, things will normalize and we may understand just how difficult it was for people who survived (or did not survive) the disaster with chronic illnesses like diabetes. 

    You can follow the link I gave to read the rest of the article.  I just wanted to take a moment and look at another aspect of this disaster that people don't always hear about.  So many people have already been injured, killed or are missing.  Those who survived face possibility of death from lack of food and water, and for many diabetics, the balance of life and death could hang on whether they can get insulin in time.  The main concern for diabetics would be acute hyperglycemia, DKA and death.  Because of the destruction, finding medical units who can dispense the insulin would be impossible without a virtual network.   The Japan Diabetes Society, according to this article, has been utilizing various means to communicate with as many patients and doctors as possible via the web, mobile phones and emergency (government) crews.  Main concerns are those who need insulin but do not have any.  Something is being done.  The article goes on to give other measures that are being taken. 

    The devastation will continue for some time and for many of Japan's chronically-ill people who cannot receive the medication they so desperately need, many more may die.   Please keep the people of Japan in your prayers and we can only hope a solution to getting insulin to the people who need it will be quickly found.