The objective of the project is to develop and implement a community-based approach to diabetes care and prevention in the Ramallah District.
Expected impact
125 health care professionals trained
1,000 pregnant women benefiting from improved antenatal care
Approximately 2,000 patients benefiting from improvements in diabetes care and screening
An estimated number of 10,000 people reached through awareness activities
Results at project completion
190 health care professionals have been trained (70 doctors, 100 nurses and 20 paramedics (nutritionists, lab technicians and health workers)).
36 clinics have been established or strengthened to provide specialised diabetes care.
1,905 diabetes patients have been managed in the specialised clinics; 1,500 pregnant women were directly reached have been screened for GDM.
12,735 people have been reached through awareness activities.
Project details
The health of the Palestinian population suffers due to restricted access to qualified health care.
In order to reach major health centres in urban areas, people from villages have to travel long distances. To counter this issue, this project seeks to strengthen the care delivery closer to home; at the community level.
Approach
The project applies a multi partner approach. The main implementing partners in the project are DanChurchAid, the Lutheran World Federation/Augusta Victoria Hospital and Juzoor Foundation for Health and Social Development.
The project will also be coordinated with other major stakeholders, namely the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH), The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and NGOs working in the field of diabetes.
Through the project a multi-modality interventional approach will be implemented both at community and clinic levels. Moreover, the intervention consists of 3 levels: a basic, an intermediate and a specialised intervention level.
At the basic level, 25-30 smaller health clinics will be strengthened through the introduction of protocols for gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Health care professionals from the clinics will be trained to use the protocols and behavioural change communication materials targeting the general public, patients with diabetes and their families will be distributed and a supervisory system within MoH will be created to ensure proper implementation of the intervention.
At the intermediate level, 9 clinics in which the protocols have been implemented by the partners prior to this project will be further scaled up to deliver diabetes screening and basic treatment. These clinics are located in the most marginalised and underprivileged villages in the Ramallah District.
At these clinics, a standardised national protocol for diabetes screening and management will be implemented. In addition, patient education and behavioural change communication activities aimed at promoting appropriate life styles and supportive family and community attitudes and practices are implemented at the community level.
At the specialised intervention level, two model centres in the rural areas of Ramallah will be established. The model centres will be placed at two existing clinics located in the cluster of villages and they will serve as referral centres for other clinics in the area.
At the specialised level clinics, all services will be available including foot care, eye care, dietetic counselling and advanced testing. In addition, the clinics will received capacity building in terms of a management support system, staff training and upgrading of biomedical technology.
This project is implemented in the Ramallah District. However, the intention is that in time the intervention can be replicated and expanded to other parts of Palestine.
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