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Diabetes used to be viewed as a rare disease in Africa. In the last 30 - 40 years this situation has changed.
Diabetes is now regarded as a major health problem and challenge throughout the continent. Numbers of patients are rapidly growing and as life expectancy extends, long-term complications of diabetes are increasingly appearing.
Increased diabetes prevalence results in an increased demand for appropriate diabetes care. Delivering appropriate diabetes care in the Sub-Saharan Africa is hampered by a number of factors, including socio-economic, cultural and geographical aspects.
Lack of knowledge of diabetes care among health care providers is another major constraint. The development of standard diabetes practice guidelines to be used by doctors, nurses and people with diabetes is seen as a major step in meeting the increasing demand for better diabetes care.
Objective
The project aims to provide and promote standard diabetes practice guidelines to improve the quality of diabetes care given to people with diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Approach
IDF Africa Region has taken the initiative to address the need to improve the quality and overall level of diabetes care given in the region.
Diabetes practice guidelines are standard statements to assist doctor and patient in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. The principle aim of the guidelines is to promote good performance of health care.
During the project, existing clinical practice guidelines within the region will be reviewed by a task force. The guidelines are revised and standardised based on IDF's quality criteria and on dietary and socio-economic differences within the region.
The revised diabetes practice guidelines will be in a form, which is easily accessible to medical health professionals, other health workers as well as people with diabetes.
The guidelines are developed in English, French and Portuguese. The dissemination approach will be active educational outreach, including training seminars and symposia.
Expected Impact
- The Diabetes Practice Guidelines are expected to improve the overall standard of care for people with diabetes. The guidelines provide a tool for health care providers in the Sub-Saharan region and will outline minimum standards of care
- In addition, the guidelines enable people with diabetes to have a good quality of life through control of risk factors and diabetes related complications
Results to date
- The “Diabetes Practice Guidelines” were published June 2007 and can be downloaded in PDF format here - language versions in French and Portuguese will be available soon
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