The project seeks to build capacity for screening and treatment of gestational diabetes (GDM) in Tamil Nadu, India. The project is an extension of WDF04-067.
Expected impact
13,910 health care providers trained
1,780 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the State of Tamil Nadu will provide GDM screening for 990,000 pregnant women coming for antenatal care at these PHCs
All (estimated 76,000) antenatal women with GDM will be provided treatment and counselling for prevention of diabetes
Results to date
980 doctors and 9,000 nurses have been trained.
1448 clinics have been strengthened with GDM care. 12,500 women have been screened for GDM. 1,538 cases of diabetes have been detected.
65 awareness camps and 283 screening camps have been conducted.
High level advocacy meeting with government officials has been conducted.
Deputy Directors in all 32 districts in Tamil Nadu have been trained in GDM screening as well as in the operational guidelines manual.
Project details
After the successful implementation of the first WDF funded gestational diabetes (GDM) project in Tamil Nadu, the government of Tamil Nadu has issued a government order that screening for GDM in all antenatal women should be mandatory and done free of cost.
Although several health care providers had been trained on prevention, screening and treatment of diabetes under the above-mentioned project (WDF04-067), the number is far from sufficient in order to meet the government order to screen all antenatal women.
Moreover, among the non-trained health care providers in the State, awareness of diabetes is scarce and the same applies to most of the women at risk of GDM.
Hence, the training of more health care providers in the public health care system on detection and treatment of diabetes as well as how to promote a healthy lifestyle is needed in order to reach the goal of providing universal screening for GDM.
Objective
The project seeks to build capacity for screening and treatment of gestational diabetes in Tamil Nadu, India.
Approach
The project is headed by Dr. V. Seshiah Diabetes Care and Research Institute and supported by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The project builds upon the GDM screening and treatment protocol which was tested under WDF04-067. WDF04-067 documented a GDM prevalence rate of 16.8% in urban and 10.8% in rural areas of Tamil Nadu.
The survey conducted under WDF04-067 indicated that 95% of women diagnosed with GDM may be controlled through diet and only 5% require insulin treatment.
Based on the above, the Government of Tamil Nadu has requested that all 1,780 primary health centres (PHCs) be strengthened through training of health care staff and introduction of the screening and treatment protocol in order to provide better antenatal care.
Approximately 13,910 health care providers working with antenatal care in the public PHCs will be trained. The training will focus on screening, diagnosis and proper management of GDM using appropriate, simple and cost effective techniques.
The field staff - which includes nurses, health visitors and health educators - will be trained to communicate and disseminate preventive behavioural lifestyle changes to women with GDM, pregnant women in general, their families and the larger community. Moreover, laboratory technicians will be trained to perform the glucose test used in the screening and follow-up.
As a result of the project a greater number of women will be screened for GDM. This will decrease the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery as well as reduce the likelihood that GDM will be a contributing factor for the rising diabetes prevalence. In total, it is expected that 990,000 pregnant women will be screened of whom around 76,000 will have GDM.
In addition, it is expected that the women receiving information about diabetes prevention from the field staff will share their acquired knowledge with their families and communities and thereby further disseminate the messages of how to live a healthy lifestyle.
