Increased awareness of and access to diabetes and tuberculosis care, Papua New Guinea

Objectives

Raise awareness of diabetes and TB among the general population
Train physicians, nurses, pharmacists and community health workers to treat and monitor diabetes and TB with the help of mobile phone technology
Establish electronic diabetes-TB registry (DTR) for effective monitoring and managing the 2 diseases

Approach

The project activities include:

Establish a ‘diabetes-TB management and monitoring unit’ (DTMMU) at the provincial hospital and mobilise primary level care facilities, CHWs and local communities across the province
Build capacity of the DTMMU and of CHWs at primary level through differentiated training (conducted by applicant institution and by local experts) based on existing PNG TB/diabetes guidelines
Prepare and roll out awareness (including radio/tv broadcasts) and screening campaigns by trained CHWs out of the targeted primary level facilities; provide care to diagnosed cases at primary level or refer to the provincial hospital
Further build capacity (second year) of the DTMMU and CHWs through implementation of a m-health component based on mobile phone voice recognition technology
Strengthen patient registries through implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) system including through provision of equipment to primary level facilities
Monitor impact and outcome based on outreach site visits combined with m-health and EMR data collection

Results at completion

10 doctors, 20 nurses, and 219 CHWs trained and 25 primary level care facilities provided capacity building including basic screening and awareness material; provincial hospital/DTMMU structures have strengthened overall province capacity towards TB and diabetes.
40,000 people reached across the various communities and 20,000 people screened.
Clinical indicators monitored, in particular those based on new m-health technology and EMR system.