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The rising burden of NCDs is rapidly affecting the African region, which at the same time is battling with communicable diseases.
Eritrea is no exception, but the NCD control program in the country is young and faced with inadequate funding, lack of technical capacity and absence of policy and strategy.
Thus, there is a considerable need to establish a surveillance system as well as a disease prevention and control program.
Objective
The project aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from diabetes through an integrated approach.
Approach
The project is implemented by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with Eritrea Diabetes Association, the Community Based Health Committees and with technical support from WHO.
In the establishment of a national surveillance system of NCDs, the Ministry of Health in Eritrea has already carried out STEP 1 and 2 of the WHO STEPwise approach for surveillance of NCD risk factors.
The results of STEP 1 and 2 indicated that diabetes is increasingly becoming a major health problem in Eritrea. However, to obtain complete information on the prevalence of diabetes, the STEP 3 is conducted as part of this project. The STEP 3 survey will target 2,400 subjects in the six regions of Eritrea.
The results of the STEP survey provide the policy makers with the requisite information to elaborate and implement a policy guideline and a strategic plan of action for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Both will be developed by a group of experts and a WHO short term consultant and adopted at a consensus building workshop. Subsequently, the guidelines are printed and distributed to health facilities in the country.
National surveillance of NCDs is strengthened through equipment and training on use of data. This will enable the Ministry of Health to have continuous information on NCD risk factors.
In all six regions, training workshops on treatment, prevention and control of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are conducted. One will also be held at national level. In total, the 13 training sessions comprising of 5-day workshops will build up the capacity of 504 doctors and nurses in the management of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Finally, to raise awareness on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in the general population, a communication strategy is developed and IEC materials such as posters and radio/TV spots will be produced and disseminated.
A sensitisation seminar on the risk factors of diabetes will also be conducted in the six regions with the participation of local administrators, elders, leaders, teachers and managers of various organisations.
Expected impact
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504 health care personnel trained in treatment, prevention and control of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
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Diabetes and risk factor prevalence survey completed
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National policy guidelines and strategic plan developed
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An estimated number of 316,800 people with diabetes will benefit annually from improved management of diabetes and its risk factors
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An equal number of patients expected to benefit from management of risk factors
- In the long run, 1,980,000 people are expected to benefit from measures targeted at the reduction of risk factors for NCDs
- And improvements in terms of quality of health care, surveillance and health promotion would benefit the 3,6 million people in Eritrea
Results to date
- 584 general health workers (doctors, nurses and associate nurses) have been trained in treatment, prevention and control of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
- A policy guideline on non-communicable diseases as well as a strategic plan of action of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases have been printed in 130 copies and distributed.
- Awareness material including educative pamphlets, television and radio spots with messages in local languages as well as posters have been produced and distributed to all regions.
- An integrated Pocket Guideline for primary health care for management of diabetes and primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases has been developed.
- One-day sensitization seminars have been conducted in six regions to 120 local administrators, 180 elders and leaders, 86 managers of various ministries as well as local NGOs.
- The routine surveillance for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases has been improved by training health workers on data collection and management. The format has been distributed and is being used by all health facilities.
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