According to the IDF Atlas 52 % of people affected by diabetes in India are undiagnosed. This calls for urgency towards providing diabetes awareness among the population, in order to diagnose and manage the disease and prevent further complications. It is a major problem that the population in general is unaware of the disease and accordingly are reluctant to seek screening for diabetes.ObjectivesThe project will mainly target 300,000 people at risk of developing diabetes, and provide these with diabetes testing and treatment services of the Public Health System.2,700 will be treated by the community-based care & support system established by this project. The project will focus on patients among the poorest sections of the society for whom it is most complicated to avail the benefits of existing health care facilities.
The project activities include the following.Capacity building (one-day sessions) of frontline health workers (ASHAs-Accredited social health activists, ANMs-Auxiliary nurse midwives and community health workers) by trained diabetes educators. Different training methodologies will be applied to each group. Refresher training will be organised a year after initial training.Implementation of door-to-door verbal diabetes screening, by ASHAs during their routine home visits. After the initial screening will those people at risk be referred to testing by ANMs in their designated health facilities, in order to ensure treatment adherence and positive treatment outcome.Establishment of a community support framework which consists of a patients with diabetes, a family member and a community representative (‘TRIO programme’). This will strengthen adherence to treatment, maintain regular visits to health centres for follow-up treatment, prevent complications, and maintain a healthy diet through home gardening activities.The community based TRIO programme is established with the aim of normalising blood sugar levels of peoples with diabetes. It is estimated that 2,700 people with diabetes will be enrolled in the programme.Training of teachers and students by diabetes educators in order to conduct school sensitisation on diabetes on a regular basis.Raising awareness on diabetes and providing risk assessment screenings through monthly panchayat-level awareness campaigns. These include campaigns for mass education on diabetes and generate a demand for diabetes screening and testing, with the aim of lowering the large amount of undiagnosed diabetics.
• 1,000 community cadres trained in diabetes care• 166 school sensitisation events• 53,274 students and teachers sensitised on diabetes and healthy lifestyle• 341 diabetes awareness campaigns conducted• 152,470 people at risk of developing diabetes identified• 2700 people diagnosed with diabetes• 850 people with diabetes aided in establishing home gardens• 792 patients of TRIO programme have obtained normal sugar levels• 1,125 ASHA workers trained in diabetes care• 989 auxiliary nurse midwives trained in diabetes care