In Montenegro, at least 50.000 adults and around 280 children suffer from diabetes, but the Montenegrin Government's "Limited Prices" campaign did not apply to products recommended for diabetics, whose prices are usually higher.
Gluten-free breads in Montenegrin stores range from two to more than four euros, almost 300 grams of sugar-free jam costs more than three euros, while 400 grams of gluten-free pasta costs more than 4 euros. Sweets are even more expensive, 160 grams of sugar-free cookies cost more than three euros, 100 grams of dark chocolate costs about 2,5...
The government launched this action in early September last year, with the aim of limiting margins on products that the authorities have designated as items of particular importance to people's lives and health.
The list of items, however, does not include a single product intended for people with diabetes.
The government's action ended on the last day of April, and the Ministry of Economic Development announced that it would create new measures to preserve citizens' standards by May 15th.
From the department Nika ĐeljošajHowever, they did not respond to "Vijesti's" questions about whether they consulted with the Ministry of Health when forming the current list, nor whether they plan to include the needs of sensitive categories in possible future actions.
Parents of children with diabetes explain that they have to balance their children's health needs and financial capabilities every day.
President of the Association of Parents of Children with Diabetes "Beta" and anesthesiologist at the Kotor General Hospital Nebojsa Gulić He told "Vijesti" that when creating the list of items in the government's "Limited Prices" campaign, only the needs of the general population were taken into account, and that sensitive categories were not taken into account at all.
Sick children don't eat what their peers eat.
"Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, in which the body begins to create antibodies that, after a short time, destroy all cells that produce insulin, and thus the child must take insulin for life. Insulin is taken at least four times a day, with additional doses if correction is needed. If it is not taken, ketoacidosis occurs within a few days, which can result in death. The trigger for type 1 diabetes is usually a banal viral infection. It is a disease that occurs suddenly and has nothing to do with the child's previous diet, nor could the parents have done anything to prevent it. The basis of type 1 diabetes treatment is insulin, diet and physical activity," explained Gulić.
He points out that children with type 1 diabetes must calculate the amount of carbohydrates for each meal, as well as how much insulin they must take.
"They can't eat literally anything without covering it with insulin. Also, diabetes itself makes them prone to cardiovascular damage, which means their diet must be healthy, in order to preserve their health and grow into healthy and useful members of society," Gulić said.
He added that this increases the family's expenses manifold.
"A small child has a hard time accepting that they can't eat everything their peers can, which can lead to frustration. Parents buy products for their children that don't contain carbohydrates or have them in reduced amounts. These are all products that are on the shelves labeled 'healthy food', and we all know that these products are very expensive," he said.
Gulić explains that people with type 1 diabetes make up slightly less than five percent of people with diabetes, the rest have type 2 diabetes, which develops in a completely different way, but the treatment is the same. Unfortunately, he points out, most people equate diabetes 1 with type 2 diabetes.
"This often happens in institutions, for which these 280 children are invisible. I think that it is not a question of bad intentions, but simply ignorance of the needs of children with diabetes, so I hope that with the help of this article, the authorities will understand that products from the domain of healthy food are not a luxury, but a health need for children with diabetes."
He said that, given that diabetes is an autoimmune disease, affected children are prone to developing another autoimmune disease.
"Most often celiac disease and autoimmune thyroid disease. A little more than 10 percent of our children also have celiac disease, a sensitivity to gluten. Just imagine the economic challenge of the average family, when they have to buy food for people with diabetes and a gluten-free diet. It is true that children with diabetes have the right to gluten-free flour, but it is not all about bread. Gluten-free pasta is several times more expensive than regular. Not to mention other products," Gulić points out.
Gulić pointed out that his child has both diabetes and celiac disease, so the family's expenses for proper nutrition have increased manifold.
It's not a fad, it's a necessity
When asked which products should be included to make the authorities' measures more inclusive, Gulić said that children with diabetes must eat healthily.
"The Mediterranean diet is most recommended, with products with a lower amount of fat. And we know that these products are the most expensive. For children with celiac disease, it would be necessary to limit the price of gluten-free products, especially gluten-free pasta. Most people see these products as something to buy out of fashion, but there are also children for whom this food is a health necessity, not a luxury."
He said that as an association, they had not approached institutions regarding this issue.
"For these years, since the Association has existed, we have focused on medical devices, where we have achieved excellent cooperation with the Health Insurance Fund, then the Ministry of Health. Now we are working on problems in the field of social care and are trying to reach an agreement with the Ministry of Education regarding the adoption of a Protocol for dealing with children with diabetes in schools and kindergartens. Of course, this is also a very important item that we planned to initiate."
Gulić pointed out that adequate nutrition is one of the pillars of maintaining the health of a child with diabetes, in addition to insulin and physical activity.
"Inadequate nutrition leads to glycaemic disorders in the short term, and to damage to the cardiovascular system and kidneys in the long term. A child with diabetes, with good blood sugar control, can grow up to be a healthy individual living with diabetes. The state's goal is to make this possible, because if these children do not have access to all medical aids, medicines and affordable healthy nutrition, then we will have adults with impaired health. The cost of a month of dialysis for the health system is several thousand euros per person, which is incomparable to the monthly costs of all medical and nutritional needs."
He said that introducing subsidies or "price caps" for such products could significantly improve the quality of life of children with diabetes.
"We know that many families in Montenegro live very modestly. This way, the quality of life of the entire family would be increased, and a child with diabetes would be able to maintain their health," said Gulić.
The Ministry of Economic Development recently announced that it will propose new measures to the Government that should come into effect on May 15th.
"This line of support will include certain products, predominantly from domestic producers, in order to encourage domestic and agricultural production while preserving economic activities and creating incentives for tourism," they specified.
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