The project aims at improving access to and quality of diabetes care in Guinea Conakry.
Expected impact
2 existing diabetes clinics strengthened
10 new diabetes and foot care clinics established
65 doctors and 55 nurses trained on diabetes care
11 teams trained on preventive foot care
13,200 patients receiving treatment
Results to date
10 clinics have been established.
5,099 patients have been treated through these clinics.
18 doctors and 26 nurses have been trained.
2,100 people have been screened for diabetes. Of these, 180 were detected with diabetes.
Project details
With a prevalence of 3.7%, Guinea Conakry has one of the highest diabetes prevalence rates in West Africa. However, access to diabetes health care is lacking in most parts of the country.
As a consequence of years with social instability there has been little institutional involvement in the development of health care in Guinea Conakry.
Recently, however, political will to improving the availability of health care has emerged. In terms of diabetes, this has resulted in the adoption of a National Programme to Combat Diabetes. Nevertheless, diabetes care is currently only available two places in the country - in the capital Conakry and at a clinic in the city of Labé.
Approach
The project is led by Association Guinéenne d'éducation et d'Aide aux Diabétiques (AGEAD) - a group of diabetes patients, health care professionals and members of civil society who aspire to combat diabetes in Guinea Conakry through awareness raising, advocacy, education and screening campaigns.
AGEAD will collaborate with multiple partners, including the Ministry of Public Health, the French NGO Pharmaciens Sans Frontières and the Malian NGO Santé Diabète Mali in order to implement the project successfully.
Initially, attention will be on improving the care capacity for patients with diabetes at the two existing diabetes clinics in Conakry and Labé. In Conakry, 20 doctors will be trained in diabetology. The course will last 10 days and cover diagnosis, treatment and education on diabetes. In Labé, 2 doctors and 3 nurses working at the diabetes clinic will be trained in a 5-day course in order to enhance their practical skills and to harmonise practices.
An important aspect of this project is to improve access to diabetes care. Therefore, 10 new diabetes clinics will be established throughout the country. For each of the clinics, a team consisting of 2 doctors and 3 nurses will attend a 5-day training workshop. At the end of the workshop each team will receive an equipment set for the clinic. After 6 months, a 2-day on-site follow-up session is organised and after one year a re-training workshop will be conducted.
The project also includes reinforcement of the preventive care capacity for foot complications due to diabetes. Under this component, 20 doctors and 20 nurses from the diabetes clinics will be trained in dealing with lesions of the limbs. The training will be based on the Step-by-Step approach developed under the WDF funded project WDF03-056 and translated into French under WDF07-251 by Santé Diabète Mali.
The training will last 3 days and will enable the teams to provide proper care to patients with diabetic foot problems. Upon completion of the training, diabetic foot clinics will be set up within each of the 10 newly created diabetes clinics and at the clinic in Labé.
In addition, a reference team on diabetic foot comprising 2 physicians, 2 nurses and 1 surgeon will be established at the University Hospital of Donka in Conakry. This will strengthen prevention, management and education on diabetic foot problems.
People living with diabetes will be empowered for self-management through education sessions, including nutritional education applying the glyceamic index of local foods developed by Santé Diabète Mali under the WDF funded: WDF04-074.
Finally, AGEAD will organise social events such as World Diabetes Day, advocacy meetings and radio broadcasts in order to further social mobilisation and awareness on diabetes. This will also include creating branches of AGEAD in each of the regions where diabetes clinics have been established.
