Diabetes is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to the World Health Organization, the number of people with diabetes in the region is expected to increase from 35 million in 2000 to 63 million in 2025. Insufficient control and management of diabetes is associated with severe complications. Morbidity and mortality due to these diabetes-related complications could be reduced by improving the glycemic control of people with diabetes.In Latin America and the Caribbean, diabetes control needs to be improved. Essential elements in this aspect are to provide people with diabetes with proper care and high-quality diabetes education.The project aims to improve the quality of diabetes care by developing and implementing evidence-based diabetes guidelines and a diabetes care improvement program.
The project is a joint initiative between the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Ministries of Health, diabetes associations, and the scientific society of the participating countries. The project builds on three components, which complement each other to reach the common goal of improved diabetes care and improved quality of life for people with diabetes.1. Development and Implementation of Guidelines: Evidence-based diabetes guidelines will be developed and implemented to standardize clinical practice at the national level, ensuring that all patients receive optimal and evidence-based diabetes care.2. Improving Diabetes Care Program: A one-year intervention project will be conducted in at least three primary care clinics in the four participating countries. A similar number of clinics will participate in the project as control clinics. At the intervention sites, people with diabetes will benefit from activities such as establishing support groups, training healthcare providers, and using health promoters to increase the effectiveness of diabetes education.3. Diabetes Education Program: A diabetes education program will be developed to improve patient self-management of diabetes. The program will be tested on people with diabetes from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds to guide the final version of the education program. Educational material will be produced, particularly emphasising people with low education.
- Educational material, including the booklet "How to Treat My Diabetes" and flip charts, has been reviewed and updated. The booklet has been distributed to all four countries, and the latter serves as a complementary element in the education of diabetes patients.- The Central America Political Integration Body (COMISCA) has approved the chronic care model as a framework for improving care for chronic conditions.- 30 professionals have participated in the development of diabetes guidelines.- 150 healthcare providers from 14 clinics have participated in the educational program in the four countries.- 3-4 intervention sites and 3-4 control clinics have been selected in each country. 1,290 patients have been recruited to participate in the interventions. In addition, an estimated 2,000 patients have benefited from the intervention by attending the clinics.- The clinical information system (QUALIDIAB) to measure quality before and after the intervention has been implemented.- The project has been anchored within the CAMDI (Central American Diabetes Initiative) framework and nurtured political and health system focus on diabetes, promoting diabetes/NCDs in Central America.- A Chronic Care Passport for patients has been developed as a partial outcome of the project. It is now being implemented across the PAHO region.