6
NEWS
JDRF Civica plan for
affordable insulin
There are very many reasons to be thankful for the unique level of
healthcare offered free by the NHS in Britain. In America insulin
manufacturers have cynically hiked their prices in recent years, meaning
insulin can cost almost £800 for a month's supply. One in four Americans
with insulin dependent diabetes routinely skip or ration their insulin, and
deaths are common. Now JDRF, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation,
is supporting a joint project with a pharmaceutical company called Civica
to manufacture and distribute three low-cost biosimilar insulin options
to enable anyone to purchase insulin at no more than $30 (£23) per
vial and $55 (£42) for a box of five pens, regardless of insurance status.
Unfortunately, this initiative will not come on stream until 2024, meaning
many more people will die in the meantime. www.jdrf.org
Roche's
MBA Health
scholarship
University College London's Global
Business School for Health has
partnered with the pharmaceutical
company Roche UK to offer a new
fully-funded MBA Health scholarship
open to girls or to black, Asian and
minority ethnic (BAME) students
and will be based on financial need.
Roche has also offered mentorship
to the successful candidate and
the opportunity to undertake
an internship after their fulltime studies.
The scholarship will increase
opportunity in underrepresented
groups who historically have
been less likely to apply to MBA
programmes. In addition to covering
tuition fees, an extra £20,000 will
also be provided to the recipient
for living expenses. The programme
provides all the competencies and
attributes of a traditional MBA, with a
focus on the healthcare management
sector and introduces students to
cutting-edge thinking from worldleading
academics about the global
health economy and leadership and
management in global healthcare.
Teaching is informed by real-world
challenges and opportunities.
Also built into the award is the
additional cost associated with the
Global Health Challenge offered on
the MBA Health, including travelling
to a low or middle-income country
for two weeks to work on solutions
to a health problem. This is a key
part of the course, providing reallife
experience for students away
from the university campus. It is
hoped the scholarship will enable
the most talented future healthcare
leaders to develop the skills and
tools to reimagine the future of
global healthcare management and
unravel the challenges of providing
universal healthcare.
For more CLICK HERE
New director for DUK Wales
Diabetes UK Cymru has appointed
Rachel Burr as the organisation's
new National Director. As part of
Diabetes UK, Diabetes UK Cymru
supports people living with the
condition, campaigns for improved
care, and raises money to fund vital
research in Wales. She succeeds Dai
Williams, who retired after 13 years
as Diabetes UK National Director.
Rachel Burr joins Diabetes UK
Cymru with 15 years' experience in
the Third Sector with roles at Dogs
Trust and Citizens Advice. Most
recently Rachel was Director for
Wales at the Community Transport
Association, a UK-wide charity
which seeks to alleviate loneliness
and isolation by championing and
supporting community transport
solutions. This work led her to
focus on journeys into health
settings across Wales, particularly
for those unable to access more
traditional forms of transport
due to inaccessibility, poverty,
or geography. She is passionate
about mobilising and empowering
communities and has an interest in
long-term behaviour change.
Burr commented, "I am
extremely excited about taking on
this important role at such a crucial
time for the charity and for people
living with diabetes. As we move out
of the pandemic and find ourselves
in an unfamiliar and over-stretched
health landscape, we must ensure
that the over 200,000 people living
with diabetes in Wales, and those
yet to be diagnosed, are not left
behind and receive the screening
and care they deserve. We must
also work hard to ensure prevention
of diabetes is front and centre of
the Welsh Government's health
agenda. This is a time to push for
better things for our community,
and I look forward to doing so."
Chris Askew OBE, Chief
Executive at Diabetes UK, added,
"We are delighted to welcome
Rachel to the organisation and
look forward to the impact her
leadership will bring to our support,
campaigning and research work in
Wales."
www.diabetes.org.uk