Objectives & approach

In recognition of the increase in diabetes, the Ministry of Health has now accepted diabetes as a major health problem in Kenya.

The Ministry has committed itself to allocate funds to the area and provide diagnostics for diabetes clinics to be established in all major public health institutions and to re-equip existing ones.

The Diabetes Management & Information Centre seeks to provide the required training for the involved staff to improve the quality of diabetes care in the country.

Objective
The project aims to improve the understanding of diabetes among health care staff and create public awareness on prevention, control and risk factors.

Approach
The project takes a two-pronged approach focusing on improving diabetes care as well as primary prevention of diabetes by raising public awareness of diabetes and its risk factors.

The strategy for improving diabetes care in Kenya involves establishing and/or re-equipping diabetes clinics in all 42 public district hospitals in the first instance. Subsequently, 200 mini-clinics will be established in dispensaries and health centres in rural areas.

Ministry of Health provides all equipment, facilities, medication, general practitioners and nurses for the clinics. To ensure a strong focus on diabetes education and counselling, the project provides the diabetes educators and dieticians.

Training and re-training of professional health care providers will be performed on diagnostics, primary and secondary prevention of diabetes as well as treatment of complications. The training targets doctors, para-medicals, nurses, clinical officers, dieticians, nutritionists and lay diabetes educators.

Public awareness of diabetes and its risk factors will be created through campaigns at churches, schools, work places, sports events etc.

These campaigns include free blood screening for early detection of diabetes, distribution of educational material, public information meetings, posters, radio shows, help lines, press conferences and exhibitions.

Health education focusing on ways to reduce risk factors and embark on lifestyle modifications will be conducted. People with diabetes will be counselled on how to live with diabetes and reduce the risk of developing complications.

Throughout the project, studies will be carried out to collect comprehensive data to determine prevalence rates and incidence of complications. This in turn may lead to identification of better ways to manage, control and prevent diabetes.

Expected Results 

•    Regular diabetes clinics established in all district hospitals and public health centres, totalling 42 diabetes clinics and 200 mini-clinics
•    500 doctors, 1,000 para-medicals, 3040 nurses, 250 dieticians and 2,500 lay educators will be trained on diabetes prevention, management, control and risk factors
•    250,000 people with diabetes will receive diabetes education annually
•    5 million people without diabetes will be reached through education on risk factors and healthy lifestyles