This programme builds local medical capacity of doctors in Bosnia and Herzegovina by offering educational workshops that train local doctors using the most up-to-date research and knowledge on diabetes. This project is in partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency and the Medtronic Foundation.

The primary health care (PHC) centres (Dom Zdravljas-DZs) lack the necessary equipment for screening, treatment and patient education. Family doctors and nurses do not have sufficient nutrition education to educate and counsel patients appropriately to prevent the disease or improve its management. As a result, even patients receiving treatment suffer from unnecessary complications.

To view the RTV Gorazde broadcast of the official opening of the diabetes counselling centre in Gorazde, click here

Programme Development Goal
In order to improve Diabetes treatment, prevention, and care, the programme's goal is two-fold:

• Improve the quality of the health services by implementing a multidisciplinary and multi-healthcare level approach to patient care.
• Raise the awareness of diabetic patients and the general public about the importance of early diagnosis, adherence to treatment and adopting healthy lifestyles.

Key Activities
Capacity building activities:

• Conduct workshops for diabetologists and primary care providers disseminating up-to-date information on diabetes care and prevention, based on internationally validated curricula.
• Develop a local training team to replicate the training activities.
• Develop multidisciplinary diabetes management teams at the DZ and ambulanta level, responsible for coordinating all activities related to diabetes in their assigned population.
• Supply basic equipment for diabetes diagnosis, education and care to involved DZs and ambulantas.
• Work with local professional (doctors and nurses) chambers and the Ministry of Health, to enable them to gradually take over the training and continue professional education activities.

Patient education activities:

• Distribute culturally-adapted educational materials to promote patient and family awareness of diabetes.
• Organize a summer camp where diabetic youth can learn about their disease, self-monitoring, healthy lifestyles, and can exchange experiences.

Advocacy and health promotion activities:

• Conduct a media campaign as well as a website about diabetes and healthy lifestyle will increase community awareness.
• Organize a Health fair with local support groups to provide counseling on healthy lifestyles, diabetes and its risk factors, as well as free screening for diabetes. 
• Promote involvement of local support groups, such as the Diabetic Patients Association, in community- based promotion and education activities.

Expected Outcomes

Expected outcomes (short-term):

• Establishment of multidisciplinary teams working with Diabetes (DM) in each Dom Zdravlja and attached health clinics.
• An updated knowledge and skills for diabetologists and primary care doctors and nurses.
• A group of qualified local trainers in Diabetes.
• An improved system of communication between different primary care doctors and specialists.
• An updated cantonal database on DM-related conditions and complications.
• An increase in the number of annual screening tests conducted.
• An increase in patient adherence to the treatment of the disease, as well as diet changes and exercise.
• A strengthened local Diabetic Patients Association.

Expected outcomes (long-term):

• Improvement of the metabolic control of DM patients.
• Decrease in the number of DM- related complications, both transitory and permanent.
• Increase in the number of patients diagnosed with DM before the onset of complications.
• Decrease in the incidence of DM caused by unhealthy lifestyles and dietary habits.

Additional information:
Factsheet	(171Kb)
Pictures	Gallery of pictures

If you would like to know more about this programme or to contribute to it, please contact us.
Fondation PH Suisse - Partnerships in Health
60 Route des Coudres, CH-1298 Céligny, Switzerland
Tel:   +41 (0) 22 776 78 81/87/89
Fax:  +41 (0) 22 776 79 27
Email: contact@partnershipsinhealth.ch