National diabetes project

Since 2001, the Government of Vietnam has considered diabetes a public health problem. In 2002 the national strategy for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases was issued. Prevention of diabetes is an important component of the national strategy. As diabetes has only recently emerged as a severe public health problem, awareness of the disease among the public and health professionals is still low. The level of infrastructure for managing diabetes is poor. Therefore, diabetes is treated incorrectly, in an arbitrary, ineffective way - or even not treated at all. Objectives The project aims to improve the quality of diabetes care in Vietnam through a community approach to prevention, control and management of diabetes. The project has the following main objectives: Raise awareness of diabetes at community level Improve clinical knowledge and skills among medical staff involved in diabetes treatment Educate people with diabetes in self-management Find new cases of diabetes Set up a diabetes association at national and local level Approach The project builds on an existing collaboration between the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Vietnam and the regional office of the World Health Organization for the Western Pacific (WHO/WPRO). The Endocrinology Hospital is the key partner in Vietnam.   The project will be applied in 2 demonstration provinces, involving 20 districts, 400 commune centres and a population of around 1 million people. If the project proves successful, the model may be used throughout Vietnam. A baseline survey was carried out nationally in 2002 focusing on diabetes, its risk factors, the capacity of medical staff and awareness of prevention of diabetes among people with diabetes and local communities. The baseline survey will be supplemented by a data collection on the incidence of diabetes and diabetes control in the 2 provinces as part of the development of the final detailed design of the project implementation phase. The implementation phase focuses on activities such as: training of medical staff educating people with diabetes enhancing community awareness of diabetes, its prevention and complications setting up a diabetes association nationally and locally detecting new cases establishing a system for managing diabetes systematically and effectively At the end of the project, the outcome will be assessed in order to determine the suitability of the model for possible replication throughout Vietnam. Expected impact All known people with diabetes in the target area will have access to diabetes care 60% of all known people with diabetes in the target area will be managed and self-managed effectively 80% of the population in target area (1 million people) will have a good understanding of how to prevent diabetes All doctors and 20% of nurses in 20 district centres and 400 commune centres are trained in diabetes Reduction in the level of undiagnosed diabetes Reduction or delay in diabetes related complications A national diabetes association established