425 million adults have diabetes worldwide, 80% of which live in developing countries. Effective management of diabetes requires sustained glycaemic control over many years to lower the risk of complications. To achieve adequate glycaemic control, people with diabetes should maintain a correct balance between the different elements that comprise comprehensive treatment; diet, exercise, medication, glucose monitoring and ongoing education. Diabetes educators face many challenges when treating people with diabetes, such as achieving long-term glycaemic control.

Developing countries have many issues such as low educations levels, often including illiteracy; lack of facilities; inappropriate nutrition or lack of access to nutrition; apathy and indifference and communication issues between health care teams and patients.

What we would like to hear from you in this discussion:

1. What are the difficulties that diabetes educators face in developing countries?

2. Do you have any experience in teaching people with diabetes in developing countries?
 

Reference reading:

http://www.diabetescareguide.com/challenges-facing-diabetes-educator/

Debussche, X., Balcou-Debussche, M., Besançon, S., & Traore, S. A. (2009). Challenges to diabetes self-mangement in developing countries. Diabetes Voice, 54(Special Issue), 12-14.

Serantes, N.A. (1985). The problem of the diabetic patient in developing countries. Diabetologia, 28:597-601

Information about the discussion leader

Dr. Abeer Yahya from Yemen is currently a PhD student in Epidemiology and Biostatistics in Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her PhD research is on the Effectiveness of Theory Based Intervention on Self-Care and HbA1c among Type 2 Diabetes Patients in National Center of Diabetes in Yemen. Dr. Abeer holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Universiti Putra Malaysia where she wrote her master research on the prevalence and risk factors of diabetic peripheral neuropathy among diabetic patients in national centre of diabetes in Yemen. Prior to her masters she succesfully completed her bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MB.BS) from Sana’a University.