Diabetes is one of the most common causes of hospitalisation in Bujumbura University Hospital, Burundi, coming third after malaria and AIDS.More than a decade of civil war has had serious consequences for the health care of the Burundian people. Along with generalised poverty across the population and an increasing level of malnutrition, the burden of diabetes has also increased.Burundi has only one health centre specialised in treating diabetes. Furthermore the costs of laboratory tests, screening and monitoring paid by the patients constitute an obstacle to the treatment of diabetes for a low-income population.The project aims at strengthening the National Diabetes Centre (CELUCODIA) in order to increase the access to and quality of diabetes care.
CELUCODIA is located in the capital Bujumbura and is the only centre specialised in diabetes treatment in the country. None of Burundi's 17 provincial hospitals can offer appropriate care to people with diabetes.Although trained to offer diabetes treatment the CELUCODIA centre lacks the appropriate technical equipment which would enable them to provide the proper diabetes care.The project strengthens CELUCODIA by introducing adapted laboratory equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.The use of modern equipment will lower the cost of tests to 1/10 of the present cost allowing an increase in the number of people attending the centre for screening and monitoring.The expected result will be a reduction in the diabetic complications currently observed among patients.Furthermore, an awareness workshop entitled "National workshop on future strategies for diabetes care in Burundi" will be held. At the workshop, the prevention and treatment of diabetes on a national level will be discussed.Expected attendees at the workshop are: The Ministry of Health, doctors from 17 provinces, hospital directors from the four main hospitals in Bujumbura, 10 hospital directors from private hospitals, diabetes associations, representatives from other ministries, WHO, non-governmental organisations and journalists.The project constitutes a pilot which may lead to establishment of diabetes clinics in further 17 hospital facilities.
- 3,600 diabetic patients screened. - At the CELUCODIA Center: 2.489 tests of blood sugar achieved for the screening and follow-up diabetics. The cost of the blood sugar test has been reduced and reagents for the HbA1C test were available.- Sensitisation workshop and Support to the development a national policy document