In spite of a continuously rising prevalence (currently estimated at 3.3%), diabetes remains a neglected disease in Guinea-Bissau and currently diabetes care services are virtually non-existent. The country is among the poorest in the world and people cannot afford what little services maybe available in the private sector.In addition, knowledge regarding diabetes is extremely low, and the majority of the population is oblivious to the existence of the disease. As a consequence, people with diabetes are unaware of their condition, till they develop severe complications: rates of severe complications at presentation are high because diabetes remains undiagnosed and untreated in the absence of services and medication.The aim of the project is to improve primary care and prevention of diabetes and increase general awareness in the capital city of Guinea-Bissau.
This project is the first WDF-supported project in Guinea-Bissau to date. It is implemented by the national diabetes association - the Associacão Nacional de Defesa dos Diabéticos (ANDD) - which was created in 2005. ANDD is presently the only organisation in the country working with diabetes. It carries out a number of activities and runs the newly established National Centre of Diabetics, where vulnerable patients can get screening and consultations for free.The current project seeks to establish primary diabetes care and promote diabetes prevention in Bissau capital area. Bissau has seen the largest rise in diabetes-related complications in the country.The project seeks to build diabetes care and prevention capacity at ten public primary health centres in the city by providing basic equipment and training for nurses and community health workers in basic diabetes care. The HCPs will go through one-week intensive training programme facilitated by a specialist from CEDEBA, in Bahia de Salvador, Brazil, another WDF-partner institution (WDF09-480). The National Centre of Diabetics within the ANDD will also be strengthened.The primary function of the health centres is to offer daily assistance to people living with diabetes. The aim is to facilitate and maintain a continued connection between patient and doctor, thereby promoting better follow up and ultimately improving disease outcomes. Treatment and support to the patients enrolled in the project will be provided free of charge as the vast majority of them are very poor.In support of the efforts of improving primary care, annual screening camps will be carried out in the 10 health centres. The camps will last a week and offer free screening services to everybody showing up.A local mass media awareness campaign using radio, TV and written materials, will be implemented. The main channel of information for Bissau-Guineans is the radio. Thus, a weekly radio programme hosted by a diabetologist and a nutritionist will be created. Public speeches in combination with door-to-door awareness campaigns distributing written information will be carried out every two months and a week prior to the screening camps.It is expected that the project will help position diabetes on the national health agenda. A protocol of agreement between ANDD and the Ministry of Health will be signed during project implementation. The project will advocate for the inclusion of diabetes in the national health strategy with the ultimate aim of creating a national diabetes programme.
• 10 Health care centres were equipped• 10 nurses and 6 assistants were trained • 45 community health workers were trained in basic diabetes care• 3 screening camps conducted• door-to-door awareness and mass media campaigns were intensified