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Nepal is witnessing an epidemic of diabetes similar to other countries in South Asia. Recent data indicate a crude prevalence of diabetes as high as 15-22% in the Kathmandu Valley.
Due to other national health priorities, little attention is given to diabetes. Qualified diabetes care is difficult to access due to a lack of trained manpower, poverty, the terrain and lack of transport.
As a result, late diagnosis is frequent, leading to a large number of cases with diabetic complications.
To tackle the problem there is a dire need to increase public awareness of the disease, its complications and its prevention. Equally important is the training of medical staff to effectively address the problem.
Astha Nepal is an NGO formed by a group of like-minded health care professionals and lay people with the aim to promote awareness and encourage local communities to be pro-active to reduce the burden of chronic diseases.
Objective
The project aims to develop a model for community involvement in diabetes care in Nepal and to bring diabetes care to the doorstep of the community.
Approach
The project is directed towards creating public awareness, advocacy and access to diabetes care among the poor with limited access to health care.
The project is a pilot intervention to develop and test the concept of whether community participation in providing diabetes care closer to the patient's home will improve care and reduce complications.
The approach aims to bring diabetes care to the patient's doorstep and to empower them to manage the disease to prevent long term complications.
Special emphasis will also be given to raise community awareness to encourage healthy living to prevent diabetes in the community, especially among families with a history of diabetes.
The project aims to train local health care providers and involve NGOs, the local community, students and youth groups to increase awareness, encourage early diagnosis and provide better care for the persons with diabetes.
The specific activities of the project will focus on:
- Full day diabetes camps in the communities. Follow up camps at regular intervals
- Direct awareness and education programmes in the local communities on (un)healthy lifestyles and detection and prevention of diabetes and its complications
- Education for youth in clubs and schools about diabetes, its complications and preventive measures
- Preventive measures in families with a history of diabetes, encouraging a healthy lifestyle
- Training of local health care providers in basic diabetes care and management
- Increasing awareness among government, NGOs and institutions through publications and seminars
Teams of youth, people with diabetes/relatives, local health care providers will be formed and trained. These teams are expected to conduct programmes in their local communities in order to spread the message.
Expected impact
- 50-75 local health care providers trained in diabetes detection, management and prevention
- 4000 people with diabetes and their families educated in self-management
- Close to 900 young people sensitised on diabetes, its complications and prevention
Results at project completion
- Formation and training of 18 local community teams to conduct community education and awareness camps, including training 19 doctors, 27 other health care personnel and 60 social workers in diabetes symptoms, detection and risk factors
- 123 doctors and para-medics trained in diabetes detection and care
- 98 diabetes camps have been held, educating a total of 3326 people
- 448 people attended awareness classes on diabetes and 3449 received information about diabetes at 3 diabetes exhibitions and 4 awareness camps for Rotarians, college students and general public
- 4 diabetes clubs formed
- Around 400 people participated in the “Walk with us” program in 3 places of Kathmandu Valley on November 14th, 2005
- Awareness spread through participation in television and radio interviews on diabetes. Articles on diabetes have been published in newspapers, souvenirs, monthly magazines and bulletins
The project has had the following impact:
People with diabetes seem to be more aware about diabetes and concerned and motivated for good control. They are more likely to shift from unbalanced diabetic diet to balanced healthy diet and the acceptance of insulin as part of the treatment, as well as introducing insulin early in the treatment, has increased.
Family members are motivated for prevention of diabetes and practicing a healthy lifestyle.
Practicing physicians are more aware about the diabetes epidemic and about providing better management. Discussions among physicians on diabetes have increased. |
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