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According to a 1998 survey, the overall diabetes prevalence rate in Bolivia is around 7% of the adult population. Data from a 2002 survey indicate an urban prevalence as high as 8.5%.
Despite the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Bolivia, the capacity of the health care system to address diabetes remains limited, basically only covering main urban areas. This is among other due to a lack of financial and human resources and competing demands on the health sector budget.
As a result, the incidence of acute and chronic complications of diabetes is high. These are complications which would be largely avoidable or which at least could be diminished with proper diabetes control and education.
Objective
The project seeks to improve diabetes health care services throughout Bolivia through training of basic diabetes educators.
Approach
In recognition of the increasing burden of diabetes and the lack of health care capacity to address it, several partners have agreed to collaborate to build a cadre of trained diabetes nurse educators.
The partners are:
- Centre for Living with Diabetes
- Bolivian Society of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition
- Bolivian Diabetic Federation
- National Directorate of Non-Communicable Diseases under the Ministry of Health and Sports.
Dr. Elizabeth Duarte, head of the Centre for Living with Diabetes and national diabetes coordinator heads the project.
The project builds upon the outcome and conclusions of the first International Workshop on Educational Programs for Bolivia, held in Cochabamba in April 2002.
A total of 9 training courses will be conducted over a 2 year period. Each course will allow 40 participants, bringing the total number of trained diabetes educators to 360.
Courses will be conducted in Cochabamba, La Paz, Tarija, Santa Cruz, Oruro, Chuquisaca, Potosi, Pando and Beni.
The content of the training will focus on:
- Basic concepts
- Non-pharmacological treatment
- Pharmacological treatment
- Self-management
- Acute and chronic complications
- Basic educational techniques
The educators will be drawn from diverse strata of the Bolivian society, including health personnel, community leaders and health promoters, people with diabetes and their relatives. Selection criteria primarily focus on a proven commitment and motivation towards improving the lives of people living with diabetes.
Upon completion of the training, the diabetes educators are expected to work within existing health centres, diabetes association branches and other institutions nationwide. The educators' primary function will be to coach and support people with diabetes and their families to enable them cope with the burden of their disease and lead a normal life.
Centre for Living with Diabetes will establish a communication network with all the health centres, diabetes association branches and people living with diabetes to provide technical backstopping and upgrade as well as to coach implementation of the diabetes education programmes in the various regions of Bolivia.
Expected impact
- 360 educators to be trained over 2 years
- Improved care for potentially 350,000 people with diabetes
- Improved diabetes care outside of main urban areas
Results at project completion February 2007
- A total of 19 education seminars have been held, training a total of 640 individuals, including: 300 educators, 41 doctors, 21 people with diabetes, 24 health care professionals and 330 biochemists and pharmacy staff
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