Croatia Expands Diabetes Care Access

Davor Skeledžija, a Croatian activist, detailed recent improvements in diabetes care within the Croatian healthcare system. He noted roughly 400,000 people in Croatia live with diabetes, and the condition increasingly affects younger people. The Croatian Health Insurance Fund now covers insulin pumps without cost-sharing for all children under 18, significantly improving their quality of life.

Additionally, the HZZO partially restored access to 100 glucose test strips annually for some type 2 diabetes patients with specific health concerns. A diabetologist, Maja Cigrovski Berković, was recently appointed to the HZZO drug commission, offering needed expertise.

However, access to newer therapies like Mounjaro remains delayed, and copays for medications such as Ozempic and Trulicity—around 13 euros monthly—still burden patients. Access to specialist care is limited by a shortage of diabetologists, with over 100 serving roughly 400,000 patients. Further improvements in affordability and access continue to be needed.