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Increasing concern of diabetes in Cuba resulted in 2003 in the National Diabetes Care Programme, which aims at establishing at least one Centre for Education and Care for Diabetes (CAED) in each provincial capital in the country.
With funds from WDF this led to the initiation of the project "Regional Diabetes Centres" (WDF02-020), which seeks to establish 10 CAEDs over a period of 4.5 years.
However, the Matanzas province was initially not included, with this current project the National Diabetes Care Programme will have CAEDs in all provinces.
Objective
The aim of the project is to establish a Centre for Education and Care for Diabetes (CAED) in Matanzas City, the capital of the Matanzas province in Cuba, in order to improving medical care for people with diabetes in the area.
Approach
The project is headed by the National Endocrinology Institute (INEN) in Cuba, but will be carried out in collaboration with the Public Health Department of Matanzas and the Ministry of Health.
The project will complete the CAED network in Cuba by establishing a CAED in Matanzas.
A CAED is a centre for ongoing education and training of all types of healthcare providers. The centre also provides extensive therapeutic care to people with diabetes as well as participates in the promotion of the improvement of the National Diabetes Programme.
The CAED in Matanzas will approximately see 660 people with diabetes per year at the centres day hospital, resulting in almost 2,000 patients seen by the end of the project period. In addition, it is estimated that 2,660 advisory consultations will be conducted annually. Together this sums up to a total of 3,200 patients benefiting from the centre each year.
Patients will not only receive treatment at the centre, but will receive self care education to enable them better understand and monitor their condition.
Moreover, the CAED in Matanzas is taking part in postgraduate teaching activities such as diabetes diplomas for 40 doctors specialising in comprehensive general medicine and other medical specialities annually. Other healthcare professionals will also receive training at the centre and thus indirectly benefiting patients with diabetes from the whole province.
The centre is also expected to have an awareness effect, since it is estimated that the health promoting activities carried out by the centre will have the effect of disseminating updated information among not only people with diabetes and their families, but also among the general population and healthcare providers.
Finally, prevention of diabetes is also a focus area of the CAED. Therefore, the centre will pay attention to preventing type 2 diabetes among people identified to be at high-risk and also focus on conducting preventive diagnosis of complications of diabetes especially related to the heart.
Expected impact
- Approximately 3,200 patients will benefit from the centre each year
- Reduction of complications due to diabetes
- Reduction of hospital admittances due to diabetes
- Improved knowledge and skills on diabetes among healthcare providers
- Improved quality of life for people with diabetes
- Prevention and early detection of type 2 diabetes in Matanzas benefiting a population of more than 140,000 inhabitants
- Reduction in premature deaths owing to diabetes
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