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Noncommunicable Diseases:
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DOTA: The Declaration of the Americas on DiabetesThe Declaration of the Americas on Diabetes (DOTA) efforts began with a consensus development conference that took place in August 1996. The conference resulted in the creation of the Declaration document that has been endorsed by all nations in the Americas as a guide for the development of national programs. A group representing the founding organizations, North American (NA) and South Central American (SACA) Regions of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and industry partners, has been facilitating the implementation of the plan in the declaration since 1997. Significant progress has been accomplished in the implementation of DOTA through the dedication of volunteers of the NA and SACA Regions of IDF, PAHO, industry partners, DOTA Associates and staff. The 1997 and 1998 DOTA objectives fell in six major areas: development of policies, plans, and norms, mobilization of resources, dissemination of information, training, research, and direct technical cooperation. In 1999, the objectives emphasized on three main areas: quality of care via the implementation of Qualidiab, diabetes education via the implementation of three diabetes educator courses for Latin America and the Caribbean, national program development and expanding partnerships via the multisectoral workshop model. In 2000, public awareness has been added to our main areas of interest and the 1999 programs will continue to be expanded. For more information please contact DOTA, phone: (703) 549-1500, ext. 2148; fax: (703) 549-1715; e-mail: DOTA@diabetes.org DIA: A Diabetes Initiative for the AmericasThe number of people suffering from diabetes in the Americas is expected to reach the 65 million mark by the year 2025. Currently, diabetes affects between 10% and 15% of the adult population in Latin America and the Caribbean. Diabetes is related to premature mortality. Furthermore diabetes increases morbidity from chronic complications affecting the retina, kidneys and nervous system. To address the growing rates and impact of this disease, the Diabetes Initiative for the Americas (DIA) was created by the Pan American Health Organization. The main goal of DIA is to decrease the social and human burden of Diabetes in the population of the Americas. DIA was formed to assist member countries to achieve comprehensive quality of life standard for people with diabetes. Methods used to achieve this objective include offering technical assistance to member countries in the field of diabetes, promoting technical cooperation among countries and supporting regional and country-specific initiatives. DIA's strategy for improving quality of life includes addressing components such as the following:
Regional Project on Diabetes Education (REDI)The Regional Project on Diabetes Education (REDI) is part of the Diabetes Initiative for the Americas (DIA). The two main goals of REDI are: 1) to increase the access of diabetes patients to self-care management educational programs in participating countries, and 2) to strengthen the cooperation between countries in the region. The REDI Project encompasses a wide array of tasks which include the following specific projects: First, the development of a document that can offer a comprehensive review of the behavioral medicine and health psychology literature applied to diabetes and hypertension. This information can aid in the development of more effective health educational programs. Second, the compilation of existing/ available diabetes educational programs in the region. Third, the development of standards and norms for diabetes educational programs in coordination with the Declaration of the Americas on Diabetes (DOTA) and the Latin American Association of Diabetes (ALAD). REDI future activities will include the design of a sustainable diabetes educational program, with specific treatment components such as nutrition, medication, self-monitoring of glucose levels and exercise. Additionally, REDI will coordinate the development of educational materials and evaluation tools for diabetes educational programs in participating countries. For more information please contact Dr. Christine Karkashian, Program on Non Communicable Diseases, Pan American Health Organization, Phone (202) 974-3740, e-mail: karkashianc@paho.org Workshop on Diabetes Surveillance and Control, El Salvador, March 2000The Program on Non Communicable Diseases, Division of Disease Control and Prevention, from the Pan American Health Organization conducted a regional workshop on diabetes surveillance and control in El Salvador (March 8-9, 2000) with participation of Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Ecuador and El Salvador. This activity was part of PAHO's Diabetes Initiative for the Americas (DIA) and was linked to the Declaration of the Americas on Diabetes (DOTA). The aim of this workshop was to initiate and coordinate activities on diabetes surveillance in participating countries. During the two-day workshop, participants discussed various aspects related to diabetes surveillance and control of their respective countries. Presentations by participants highlighted the importance of diabetes in the context of each different country. Furthermore, presentations by participants from El Salvador stressed the importance of diabetes education and gender issues in diabetes care. Various diabetes-related problems were identified. At the end of the workshop the following two priorities for further development were chosen: study of the prevalence of diabetes and other chronic diseases and national diabetes programs. Participants will continue being involved in other related activities in order to further develop the action plan defined in San Salvador. Collaborative U.S.-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control ProjectThis project is coordinated by the PAHO's El Paso Field Office in collaboration with the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Secretariat of Health of Mexico, PAHO's Program on Non Communicable Diseases, the Diabetes Control Programs of the ten border states (from the U.S. and Mexico), the El Paso del Norte Health Foundation, and the El Paso Diabetes Association. The purpose of this bi-national initiative is to diminish the impact of diabetes in the border population by conducting activities in two related phases, they are: the development of a prevalence study and associated risk factors among the 18 years and older population, and the implementation of a diabetes prevention and control program. For additional information, please contact Chief, US-Mexico Border; phone (915)845-5950; email: dir@usmbha.org Diabetes Complications and National Strategies to Control Diabetes: Conclusions of a Regional Consultative WorkshopThe Program on Non Communicable Diseases of the Pan American Health Organization conducted a consultative workshop on diabetes complications and national strategies to control diabetes from December 13 to 15, 1999. During the workshop participants reviewed information about various initiatives in the area of diabetes in the Americas. Furthermore, additional topics such as diabetes prevalence and cost associated with diabetes were addressed. Participants concluded that diabetes is a health and social growing concern in the Americas and there is a need to measure the impact of different diabetes programs. Standardized measurements of the prevalence of some diabetes chronic complications, such as retinopathy, hypertension and nephropathy among others, may be used as indicators of success for different diabetes programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. Furthermore, the group concluded that lipid and blood pressure controls are as important as glycemic control for the diabetic population. There is a need to study the economic impact of diabetes in different countries. These and other issues will be addressed in a proposal entitled Multicenter Study of the Institutional Response to Diabetes Complications in Latin America and the Caribbean. Integrated Diabetes Management Model (IDMM) in Bolivia
A diabetes survey was conducted in four cities of Bolivia in 1998. The survey demonstrated that between 7 and 8% of the adult Bolivian population suffer from diabetes. This represents a national estimate of 200,000 adult people with diabetes. In October 1999, the first diabetes strategic planning workshop was held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. During this three-day workshop, professionals from several sectors and people with diabetes discussed problems related to diabetes in their country. The proposal Diabetes Integrated Management Model emerged as a response to the discussed problems. The purpose of this project is to improve quality of life for people with diabetes in Bolivia . The proposal outlines a diabetes intervention program to be developed in three Bolivian cities (La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz). Specific activities include: 1) an evaluation of the quality of diabetes care, 2) a study of beliefs, attitudes, and practices related to diabetes among people with diabetes and in the general population, 3) implementation of an integrated program for intervention with components of quality of care, and 4) education for patients with type 2 diabetes. Particular importance will be given to the development of a study of the costs associated with diabetes. For additional information please contact: Dr. Maria del Carmen Daroca, e-mail: mdaroca@bol.ops-oms.org. | |
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The Pan American Health Organization Promoting Health in the Americas |