Objectives

To roll-out the first stages of national diabetes/NCD responses in five small islands states of the Eastern Caribbean region.

Approach

1. This regional small island states programme will be coordinated by the OECS health unit and implemented at country level by health authorities and other key local/regional stakeholders through following activities:
2. Establishing of a country level steering group in each of the five island states, headed by the MoH NCD Unit, through which implementation and monitoring plans will be developed and frequent coordination meetings take place; OECS will ensure overall coordination and data collection, funds management of WDF grant towards each country, etc.
3. Training of HCPs of different categories within diabetes/NCDs, based on updated training programme, guidelines and protocol, and strengthening of patient registers (integrated with existing HMIS), targeting main hospitals/clinics on the islands.
4. Update and reproduce various communication and education materials on diabetes/NCDs and provide these to trained HCPs and involved diabetes associations and other civil society groups.
5. Roll-out of large-scale awareness and health promotion activities across communities, at workplaces, at places of worship, and at schools, mainly through diabetes associations/civil society, and with linkages to the health system capacity building. These activities will hence also include patient/household-level support whereby diet, nutrition, care adherence and prevention will be supported at micro-level.

Expected results

• 50 physicians and 150 nurses trained, together with up to 20 senior level HCPs and 80 additional HCPs and  at least 20 diabetes association members.
• Four diabetes/NCD clinics established or strengthened on each island (20 clinics) whereby majority of the populations (600,000 people) would have improved access to diabetes/NCD care. 
• At least 7,500 diabetes patients or people at-risk provided comprehensive care and follow-up, during two-year project trajectory only
• At least 160,000 people of different ages reached, and at least 300 school teachers and 1,200 students involved.