Best future for our children, Kyrgyzstan

Objectives

Kyrgyzstan health policies lack focus on diabetes. As a result, professionals have been leaving the diabetes sector, while the government, despite the increasing diabetes prevalence in the country, has been decreasing budgets for the diagnostics, prevention and treatment of the disease.

The Ministry of Health estimates that out of a population of 5 million, 46,000 people live with diabetes. This may be too low an estimate, as the IDF suggests the number to be 169,600. There are least 600 children with type 1 living in Kyrgyzstan.

For children with type 1 diabetes, it is a real problem to get access to kindergarten and schools, as stigma makes it very difficult to attend.

Parents have a crucial role in child/youth education on diabetes, but they often exhibit lack of knowledge about the disease. Many are not aware of their rights, and face disempowerment and isolation as a result. This often leads to financial and emotional strain, which can damage families and children, particularly young ones.



Objectives

The goal of the project is to build capacity within type 1 diabetes among children and parents in two regions of Kyrgyzstan.

Approach

The project has three objectives:

The first objective is to conduct capacity-building activities through the establishment of two Regional Support Centres (RSC) in the targeted regions Chuy and J-Abad. The centres will be fully equipped and staffed to provide adequate support to parents and diabetes schools.

The second objective is to open two Children's Diabetes Schools within the RSCs with consultation from the Diabetes Association of Kyrgyzstan.
Educational courses on diabetes care, self-management and healthy living will be provided to kids, youth and people with diabetes as well as their parents and anyone interested in diabetes. The schools will make use of participatory and interactive trainings including games, team-building exercises, and school preparatory classes.

Two preparatory classes will prepare at least 15 children with type 1 diabetes for school. Self-help groups for parents, called Parents clubs, in Chuy and J-Abad regions will provide informational and psychological support to 600 parents each year.

Large children's hospitals in each region will be equipped to provide better care for children and youth with diabetes. Open lectures and seminars for 1200 civil servants will pave the way to better understanding and positive attitudes toward people with diabetes.

The third objective is to implement a PR strategy and significantly increase the coverage of diabetes issues in the national mass and social media. Newsletter, electronic resources and Google groups will enable fast networking and informational communication exchanges between parents and concerned organizations to break informational barriers within the diabetes sector.

A final forum attended by at least 100 key representatives of leading NGOs and government agencies will address the issue and raise the voices of parents and children who have been ignored for so long.

Results at completion

Two resource support centres for children and youth with type 1 diabetes and their parents established in Bishkek and Jalal-Abad
Parents clubs established in each resource centre
One Diabetes School in a Family Medicine Center in Tokmok
148 parents trained in self-help groups, leadership and fundraising through a series of seminars
136 children and youth with type 1 diabetes trained in self-management through diabetes schools
45 children attending diabetes summer camp
Seminars and open lectures on diabetes for 1339 civil servants and government officials