Relief campaign helps Peruvian earthquake victims with diabetes The WDF Peruvian project partner, Mrs. Martha Mora de Belaunde, did not hesitate when earthquakes struck Peru in mid August in order to help people suffering from diabetes. Together with a group of health care professionals, she rushed to the areas hit by the disaster to offer her help and distribute diabetes medicine. Earthquake hit Peru in August On 15th of August 2007 a major earthquake, 7.9 on the Richter scale, hit Peru’s central coastal line, killing at least 500 people and injuring hundreds more. Most of the deaths were caused by buildings collapsing. Traffic was disrupted as some roads were blocked by cracked tarmac, fallen power lines and the affected areas became difficult to reach by road for rescue workers. Subsequently, the area was hit by aftershocks and an additional earthquake two days later. The devastation left thousands of people without shelter, food, and put people with diabetes especially at serious risk. Relief campaign to help people with diabetes Mrs. Martha Mora de Belaunde was worried about the victims with diabetes, and the first day following the earthquakes she helped with the distribution of basic aid, among this insulin and diabetes medication provided by organisations and pharmaceutical companies. The day after the quake a diabetes emergency relief campaign was organized with friends nationally and internationally and visits to the disaster area were scheduled. Mrs. Belaunde explains:”The campaign was organized with Nestor Loreto from Argentina and Prof. Adolfo Perez Comas from Puerto Rico, asking for help internationally and after a couple of weeks of intense organization we were ready to travel to the earthquake site.” Four diabetologists, four podiatrists, nutritionists, nurses and volunteers with a desire to provide first aid to people with diabetes affected by the earthquake travelled with the doctors to the designated areas. WDF provides capacity building in Peru Peru is one of the 75 countries where projects supported by The World Diabetes Foundation are improving the lives of people with diabetes. The EVA project, EVA standing for Eje Vascular Andino (Andean Vascular Axis), covers five Andean countries; Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. The project is run by Dr Elizabeth Duarte from Bolivia and Mrs. Martha Mora de Belaunde, President of the Juvenile Diabetes Association in Peru and aims to decrease the development of the diabetic foot. A person suffering from diabetic foot risks ulceration, infection and gangrene of the foot which can lead to amputation of the affected foot or eventually the leg. The EVA project aims to prevent the development of this particular complication by training health care providers in clinical evaluation and management of diabetic foot care and by then implementing the project in 10 health care facilities in each of the five participating countries. Relief and diabetes education offered The expertise and routines developed by the project activities were put into use during the relief campaign and people at risk of suffering from diabetic foot without knowing it were screened, educated and treated. Mrs. Belaunde explains that the screening efforts during the relief campaign were fruitful; “We found patients with very high blood glucose levels and many - too many - with problems to their feet”, she says. All of them were treated during the campaign; some patients had their feet examined for the first time in their lives.
Read more about the EVA project Watch more photos from the relief campaign
This page was last updated 10-8-2007 by taj.wdf