Smart ‘Omnipod 5’ offers smarter diabetes care for 28,739 Kuwait patients
Kuwait is expanding the use of advanced medical technology to help people with Type 1 diabetes manage the condition, with the smart Omnipod 5 insulin pump emerging as one of the latest technologies available to patients in the country.
Dr Waleed Al-Dhahi, Chairman of the Kuwait Diabetes Society, said advances in medical technology have significantly changed the way insulin is delivered and blood sugar levels are managed, giving patients greater flexibility and helping them achieve better control of their condition.
His comments came during a specialized scientific event organized with the participation and support of the Kuwait Diabetes Society, which examined recent developments in Type 1 diabetes treatment, particularly modern insulin pumps and other technologies, while also addressing patients’ needs and the rapid development of insulin-delivery systems.
Al-Dhahi said smart insulin pumps provide a more flexible and precise method of insulin delivery and can help reduce episodes of both low and high blood sugar. The Omnipod 5 system connects glucose readings with insulin delivery, using algorithms to process the readings and adjust insulin delivery according to the patient’s needs.
He said the technology provides a more advanced level of automated diabetes management, while newer generations of insulin pumps are becoming smaller, smarter and easier to use. These developments are giving people with Type 1 diabetes more treatment options and greater flexibility in managing their condition.
Some modern wearable insulin pumps can be replaced every three days, significantly reducing the burden of repeated injections. Under conventional treatment, a person with Type 1 diabetes may require four or five insulin injections a day.
Reducing the number of needle insertions can be particularly important for children and young people who require continuous insulin treatment. Al-Dhahi said the objective of modern diabetes technology goes beyond making treatment easier, extending to improving patients’ overall quality of life.
The global insulin-pump market is also witnessing rapid technological development and competition. In Kuwait, the technology is particularly relevant given available data estimating that around 28,739 people have Type 1 diabetes. Al-Dhahi said the figure highlights the need to continue improving treatment services and adopting modern technologies for diabetes management.
He added that Kuwait is among the early adopters in the Gulf and Arab region in providing insulin pumps to people with Type 1 diabetes, particularly children and adolescents, as part of efforts to make advanced treatment technologies available to patients.
Keeping pace with medical advances
Al-Dhahi stressed the importance of specialized scientific events in helping doctors and healthcare professionals stay informed about the latest developments in Type 1 diabetes treatment. The event featured scientific lectures covering patient needs, advances in insulin pumps and emerging technologies in diabetes care.
He said keeping pace with these developments is aimed at expanding access to more advanced treatment options for people with Type 1 diabetes in Kuwait and supporting better management of the condition.
