The prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is rapidly increasing in Burkina Faso as in many other developing countries. The national prevalence of diabetes is not known, but complications of diabetes are commonly seen in clinics. Diabetic foot is a major concern with one out of three cases leading to amputation. Despite numerous efforts by the government to provide better health care for the population, the availability and quality remain inadequate.With only a few specialists available to treat people with diabetes, the geographical and financial accessibility of diabetes care and management in Burkina Faso is very poor. Consequently, there is practically no care available for people with diabetes living outside the capital area. Thus, there is a great need for decentralisation of care and for building up skills among health care professionals throughout the country.The overall aim of this project is to improve accessibility and quality of health care for people with diabetes in all 13 regions of Burkina Faso.
The project has three main components: training and education, decentralisation of care, and diabetes screening and awareness-raising.1) The education component involves diabetes prevention and care training for health care staff in the tertiary sector and doctors and nurses in the regional hospitals. They will also undergo training in Step-by-Step foot care management program. In addition continued patient education and self care training conducted by nurses and peer educators is an important element of the project.2) The decentralisation component involves the establishment of 13 diabetes clinics throughout the country. The project will provide basic equipment and educational material to all trained teams of health care personnel at all levels of the health care system to enable them to implement good diabetes care and management.Furthermore, the project will strengthen medical supplies procurement system by collaborating with the purchasing centre for essential and generic medicines (CAMEG). This is done to ensure a permanent system for regular supply and distribution of insulin, oral anti-diabetic drugs and diabetic consumables throughout the country.3) Apart from training of health care professionals, making access to diabetes care and treatment more readily available, and strengthening medical supply procurement system, the project aims at creating awareness about diabetes and the associated risk factors among the general population. Free yearly screening and awareness-raising campaigns will be held in each region.
• A total of 17 diabetes clinics have been established; 9 clinics established in 9 regional hospital and 6 medical centers of Ouagadougou and Bobo Dialaso and in 2 medical center of Manga and Ziniarém.• 122 doctors (17 internists, 105 GPs ) trained in diabetes management and diabetic foot care. This included one initial training and two refresher trainings• 142 paramedics trained on patient education general care and feet management• 521 persons screened for diabetes• Improvements to the skills of health professionals with the decentralisation of the PEC by the establishment of clinics and diabetes consultations in all the MCSSs and RHCs• Help for the constitution and organisation of the PEC for diabetic patients• Establishment of a diabetes focal point in each MCSS and RHC• Establishment of an active queue register• Establishment of a database for collection of PEC data of diabetic patients (software for active queue)• Establishment of communications channel between doctors who are decentralised and the central CHU specialists• Improvements to the indications and contra-indications reference system for diabetes• Better knowledge of diabetes amongst the communities, the administrative and health authorities with commitment and support of the beneficiaries, anti-diabetes associations, administrative and health authorities