The objective of the project is to prevent and treat diabetes in people with tuberculosis.
Expected impact
300 paramedics trained
350 health workers trained
1,000 doctors trained
50 screening camps conducted
Results to date
255 TB paramedical personnel have been trained in screening for diabetes in TB patients.
290 TB health workers have been trained in prevention, management and screening for diabetes in TB patients.
675 TB doctors have been trained in prevention and management of diabetes in TB patients.
2,196 TB patients on DOTS treatment have been screened for diabetes at screening camps.
130 screening camps have been conducted. A total 599 TB patients were detected with diabetes.
A mobile van has been procured and equipped with chairs, refrigerator, cupboard and material for diabetes screening as well as a TV and DVD player for showcasing a short video about the dual burden of TB and DM to the crowd waiting to be screened.
Educational posters and manuals have been developed in English and Tamil.
Project details
With close to 50 million people living with diabetes in India, recent estimates suggest that the growing diabetes epidemic in the country could have an even greater impact on the tuberculosis (TB) incidence than HIV has. According to a recent paper, diabetes accounted for nearly 15% of PTB and 20% of smear-positive PTB in India in the year 2000
Diabetes not only increases the risk of getting infected with TB, it may also prolong the response time to TB treatment and thereby impede effective control and treatment. However, good control of blood sugar levels reduces the risk of TB infection among people with diabetes, and prevention and proper management of diabetes may therefore be a way of preventing TB.
Approach
This project is the second of two WDF funded projects focusing on the link between diabetes and TB. The project is a multi-partner project headed by the M. V. Hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes Research Centre. Other partners include the Tuberculosis Research Centre, NGO-REACH and the Tamil Nadu State Government. During the first year of the project period, activities will be launched in Chennai. This will be followed by implementation in Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur in the subsequent two years.
The project has two components:
Capacity building through training of various health care personnel to deal with the double burden.
Awareness creation of the link between diabetes and TB combined with screening camps.
The project has a multi-sector approach wherein capacity building will take place at both public and private health facilities and at all levels involved in TB care. In total, 300 paramedics and 350 health workers working with TB will be trained in diabetes prevention, detection and screening during a one-day training session. In addition, 1,000 doctors will receive training in diabetes and TB diagnosis and management.
The second component will commence when the health personnel have been trained. The plan is to conduct 50 awareness and screening camps where the trained health workers will screen and educate TB patients about diabetes. At each camp approximately 50 TB patients will be screened and educated totalling 2,500 TB patients throughout the project period. Those who have diabetes will be referred to tertiary care centres for treatment.
The camps will be carried out with the use of a mobile van fully equipped with a laboratory and other necessary tools for conducting screening and education. Using the van enables access to rural and other remote areas which do not have easy access to health facilities. Diabetes education material such as a manual, posters and pamphlets highlighting the interaction between diabetes and TB and aspects of prevention of diabetes and TB will be produced in local language.
The lessons learned from the project will be used to develop a model for prevention of diabetes among TB patients which can serve as a future guideline.
