The project takes place at three islands of the Comoros Union, Grande Comores, Anjouan and Moheli. The main activities are centred around training of nurses and doctors regarding diabetes diagnosis and patient education, with a special focus on diabetic foot care.The level of undiagnosed patients in Comoros is around 75 % according to IDF figures, which underlines the high importance of creating awareness and diabetes care among the common population.The project seeks to improve healthcare within the population through prevention of diabetes mellitus. Training of doctors and nurses will be conducted in order to increase the quality of care. Furthermore, patient education is initiated, with the aim of increasing diabetes knowledge and reducing future diabetic complications.
Overall will the project include differentiated training of HCPs in diabetes care and prevention. All trainings will include pre/post-testing, provision of equipment and patient education skills with the latter to be given particular priority. An educational media campaign on diabetes, via radio and TV, is also conducted. 15 physicians and 30 nurses from three reference hospitals, one from each island, will receive training by an international team to improve their capabilities within prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus. A specific focus of the trainings will be on management of uncomplicated diabetes, patient education and management of diabetes complications. After the first training, an initial donation will be made which includes the minimum equipment’s needed for consultations. Furthermore is training of 15 referral doctors and 15 nurses conducted on a 5-day training camp. After the training will the selected HCPs be able to undertake various tasks including being able to identify the first clinical signs of diabetes, undertake the management of uncomplicated diabetes and refer to higher-level health care structure. Another donation of minimum equipment needed for consultations will also be done. The doctors trained will carry out two training workshops during year 2 and 3. On these workshops is 48 healthcare staff trained in key knowledge. Screening of diabetes, hypertension and people with risk factors for diabetes, is conducted over 45 days in different intervention areas of the 3 islands. Furthermore will screening camps be organized, around each of the 15 health facilities located in the three islands, once per year. The screenings will be conducted by the trained health workers. In preparation for the screening camps, is information provided to the public through the media campaign. The project will also establish an anti-diabetic drugs supply mechanism in collaboration with national pharmaceutical supply authorities.
- Number of clinics established or strengthened 15- Doctors trained 94- Nurses trained 96- Other HCP and community health workers trained 25- Mechanisms for antidiabetic drug supply established- Number of awareness and/or screening camps conducted 48- Number of people reached through awareness and screening camps 8,795- Number of foot-care training for HCP general - Number of people reached through mass media campaigns 15, 000- Number of people screened for DM 8,795- Number of people newly detected with DM 888- Number of patients treated through established clinics 3,795