Mobile diabetes care delivery, Sudan

Diabetes in Sudan is a growing health problem with major impact and an increasing incidence among all socio-economic classes.

Sudan is geographically the largest country in Africa, inhabited by more than 35 million people. Diabetes constitutes the most common non-communicable disease (NCD) in the country with an estimated 607,000 people in the age group 20-79 have diabetes. A number that is most likely to exceed 1.1 million in 2025. 

Diabetes is the biggest killer amongst the NCD’s, claiming 10% of deaths that occur in hospitals.

Objective

The project seeks to prevent diabetes complications and hence reduce the cost of care in the Northern State of Sudan.

Approach

Main partners in the project are the Ministry of Health in Northern State, Sudan Telecommunication Corporate and Mulazmin Diabetes Centre.

The goal of the project is to strengthen diabetes health care in the Northern State where diabetes is highly prevalent and health facilities and human resources are scarce. The project builds on the structure and clinics created through WDF03-061 and will collaborate with these as well as the project Diabetes Care Promotion, Sudan WDF06-181.

The existing Diabetes Unit (DU) of the Northern State in Dongla City will be upgraded to a tertiary referral diabetes centre which will cooperate with three satellite diabetes units (SDUs); created as part of this project.

The SDUs will function as specialised referral clinics based in the existing primary health care centres where Diabetes Mini Clinics were established under WDF03-061. They are connected to the Dongla DU during regular visits of a mobile clinic manned by a specialised medical team composed of internists and ophthalmologists.

The mobile clinic is a secondary health care clinic and when visiting the SDUs, the mobile clinic offers secondary care, with focus on feet and eyes in particular.

The mobile clinic is equipped with clinical examination kits, ECG machine, retinal screening facilities, foot care and laboratory equipment for biochemical analyses. A laboratory technician is in charge of the biochemical analysis.

Access to essential drugs for treatment of diabetes is facilitated through a revolving fund mechanism managed by the Northern State Ministry of Health.

Diabetes practitioners and educators are trained to man the SDUs through 4 training programmes. The training involves diabetes management, clinical attachment in a diabetes centre, and on-the-job training, where each practitioner and educator works with the diabetes team of the mobile clinic during its regular visits to the SDUs.

Diabetes units, independent of the mobile clinics, are envisaged to replace the SDUs at the end point of the project. The mobile clinic will then be transferred to River Nile State to run similar activities.

Expected impact

• Existing diabetes unit in Dongla City, Northern State upgraded to a tertiary care diabetes centre
• 3 secondary care satellite diabetes clinics established in existing health facilities
• Mobile unit with secondary diabetes care facilities operational
• 12 doctors and 16 diabetes educators trained in health delivery
• 15,000 people with diabetes - representing 50% of people with diabetes in the Northern State benefiting from better access to diabetes care

Results to date

• The Diabetes unit in Dongola has been upgraded to tertiary referral facility. Staff members have been given additional training, a laboratory technician has been specifically trained, necessary equipment and supplies have been procured so that the centre is operational.
• A mobile clinic (secondary health care clinic) has been fully equipped, shipped and arrived in Sudan.    
• 12 doctors and 16 educators have been trained, attending a three-day international diabetic conference and a two-day training course focusing on the diabetic foot and multidisciplinary approaches to diabetic care.
• A supervisory team from the Khartoum office has visited selected project centres in the Northern State – Karima, Merawi, Borgeck and Argo – to prepare for the establishment of satellite diabetic units.
  

Project data

Area Partner Project responsible       Duration Project budget WDF contribution Project number

Northern State, Sudan National Diabetes Program, Federal MoH Prof. M. A. Eltom July 2007 – June 2010 EUR 556,000 EUR 320,000 WDF06-164

This page was last updated 11-7-2008 by bisl.wdf