To educate and sensitise forest communities of Kalehe , Kabare and Idjwi Islands in regard to diabetes

Objectives

DR Congo is the third largest country in Africa (70 million inhabitants) with a lot of natural resources. Yet the country is ranked among the poorest countries in the world. Members of local forest communities are among the poorest of the poor, with a daily income of less than one dollar.

There are no existing programmes addressing diabetes prevention in the countryside. In the forest communities, knowledge about diabetes is scarce and often incorrect; diabetes is widely considered a disease of rich persons that exists only in towns.

The forest people believe very much in witchcraft, which is partly explained by the fact that there are no hospitals in the forests and often no other medical options or information sources. The lack of proper health services in the countryside causes many deaths, affecting entire families. The continued wars in DRC Congo have only made the situation worse.

Objectives

The aim of this project is to raise awareness and encourage testing for diabetes among remote forest communities in Kalehe, Kabare and Idjwi Island in DR Congo.

Approach

In the preparation phase, literate people from forest (also called Pygmy) communities are mobilised to become community sensitisers. The trained sensitizers will then be able to conduct peer-support and provide support to people living with diabetes.

These selected community members will receive a 3-day training session in awareness-raising, basic diabetes and peer support and return to their respective forest communities to begin the sensitising activities.

Within the following two years, the trained sensitisers arrange 360 community sessions to raise awareness and inform the targeted forest communities about diabetes, risk factors and prevention.
The sensitizers will be able to offer free screening at locally established testing points and advise community members to seek further treatment if indicated.

Other awareness activities include radio and tv broadcasts. All activities have a target of directly or indirectly reaching 200,000 people in the community.

Results at completion

15 sensitisers from forest communities trained
1435 sensitiation sessions conducted
132,020 persons reached through the sessions
26,590 persons screened
384 awareness sessions and education sessions broadcast over radio, 820,000 persons reached