Insulin availability in Bengaluru below WHO standards: study

In the study, published recently in the BMC Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, researchers have identified a series of challenges constraining access to insulin — an essential, life-saving medicine for people with diabetes — in Bengaluru region.

Insulin, insulin availability, Insulin in Bengaluru, Bengaluru news, BMC Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, indian express

The study says that people who have multiple chronic health conditions, are older, have Type 1 diabetes, or are treated with medications such as insulin or sulfonylureas are at highest risk. (Source: File Photo)

Insulin, listed on India’s 2015 Essential Medicine List, was available only in 66.7 per cent of government hospitals in Bengaluru, falling short of the World Health Organization’s 80 per cent target, according to a new study.

In the study, published recently in the BMC Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, researchers have identified a series of challenges constraining access to insulin — an essential, life-saving medicine for people with diabetes — in Bengaluru region.

Insulin availability in government hospitals was lower than the availability in private retail pharmacies (76.1 per cent) and private hospitals (93.3 per cent), the study pointed out. Among private retailers, insulin products were available in 96.7 per cent of pharmacy chains and 68.3 per cent independent pharmacies.

Researchers Gautam Satheesh and M K Unnikrishnan from the National College of Pharmacy, Kozhikode, along with Professor Abhishek Sharma from the Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, told The Indian Express that their study revealed complex relationships between the various components of the healthcare system in terms of patients’ insulin access.

“Next year will mark 100 years since its discovery… but insulin remains inaccessible to millions due to poor availability and unaffordable prices,” researchers said.

The increasing global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — including diabetes —poses a major public health challenge. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by United Nations member states, has prioritised the reduction of premature mortality due to NCDs by a third, they said.

“One way to progress towards this goal is to achieve at least 80 per cent availability of affordable essential medicines. Globally, there are concerns regarding patients’ limited access to insulin, and India has the second largest diabetes burden in the world. We employed a mixed-methods survey approach: a modified World Health Organisation (WHO)/Health Action International (HAI) standard survey, along with qualitative interviews with insulin retailers (pharmacists) and wholesalers to understand insulin availability, affordability and market dynamics in Bengaluru region,” said Satheesh.

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Insulin remains unaffordable in both private and public sectors and the lowest paid unskilled worker pays 1.4-9.3 days’ wages for a month’s supply, depending on the type and the health sector, said the study. Interviews with wholesalers suggest that challenges constraining patients’ insulin access include limited market competition, physicians’ preference for non-Indian insulin products, and the ongoing transition from human to analogue insulin.

Researchers selected Bengaluru for the study as a similar one, carried out in Delhi in 2016, had also found limited market competition from Indian insulin manufacturers in the region. “We decided to replicate the study in south India and wondered if insulin access and market dynamics would be different in Bengaluru, which is also home to India’s major insulin manufacturer Biocon (a key stakeholder in global insulin access),” said Satheesh.

The study found that besides some competition from Biocon (a major Indian insulin manufacturer is based in Bengaluru), the majority of insulin products that researchers found were supplied by foreign companies. They observed that non-Indian companies such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Company dominated Bengaluru’s insulin market. In the paper, researchers have also put forth several recommendations for the Indian government, the pharmaceutical industry and the pharmacy associations on how they could improve access to insulin in India.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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