The B.C. government has announced an insulin pump program that promises to make life easier for young diabetics and their families.

The province will begin paying for insulin pumps for diabetics under the age of 18, as well as pump supplies for all diabetics.

The announcement was made on World Diabetes Day Friday by Premier Gordon Campbell and Health Minister George Abbott at a Vancouver elementary school.

The pumps deliver measured doses of insulin in place of injections, allowing diabetics to maintain better control of their blood sugar levels, helping reduce the chance of long-term complications from the disease.

They cost about $6,500 each and the program will cover 200 patients each year at a cost of about $1.5 million annually.

In addition, all diabetics who use pumps will now have costs covered for insulin reservoirs, which are disposable and must be changed about every three days.

The government says this will save patients up to $700 annually.

Health Minister George Abbott says by covering the costs the government is hoping to reduce the financial and emotional toll caused by diabetes.

B.C. Opposition New Democrat health critic Adrian Dix, who has diabetes, has been calling on the government to fund insulin pumps for children for more than one year.

Ontario, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland already cover the cost of insulin pumps for children through their provincial medical plans.

The Canadian Diabetes Association says the pumps save health costs over time by keeping diabetics healthier longer, especially children.

According to the CDA, every 20 minutes someone in B.C. is diagnosed with diabetes. It says one in 10 hospital admissions in the province are due to people requiring care for conditions resulting from diabetes, including heart attacks, strokes or kidney failure.