In recognition of the increase in diabetes, the Ministry of Health has accepted diabetes as a significant 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.The project aims to improve the understanding of diabetes among healthcare staff and create public awareness of prevention, control and risk factors.
The project takes a two-pronged approach focusing on improving diabetes care and 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 found in dispensaries and health centres in rural areas.Ministry of Health provides all clinic equipment, facilities, medication, general practitioners and nurses. To ensure a strong focus on diabetes education and counselling, the project offers diabetes educators and dieticians.Training and re-training of professional health care providers will be performed on diagnostics, primary and secondary prevention of diabetes, and 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, workplaces, 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 reducing risk factors and implementing lifestyle modifications will be conducted. People with diabetes will be counselled 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 the identification of better ways to manage, control and prevent diabetes.
• 32 Main clinics and 91 mini clinics set up• 736 Doctors, 839 para-medics, 2,234 nurses, and 393 dieticians trained• 663,203 people educated in a full day session• 4,410,260 people reached through awareness activities