While diabetes education is shown to improve physiological measures such as HbA1c, these educators are a scarce resource in many countries.

Managing one’s diabetes involves continued and long term commitment in carrying out daily tasks and decision making. This requires support, mentoring and education. Peers can offer these as they are of the “same standing”, can relate to patient’s daily struggles.

A peer in this context would be a person who has diabetes or is affected by diabetes. Some peer educators are community health workers, or health promoters who may or may not have diabetes. They tend to come from the same community, speak the same language or be from the same cultural or ethnic group.

What is your experience with peer education in your country?

Information about the moderator

The discussion will be moderated by Ms Buyelwa Majikela-Dlangamandla (Msc Nursing) Clinical educator at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Ms Luz Avruj, Diabetes Educator at the Argentine Diabetes Society in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

References

1) Tang, T and Funnel, M (2011) IDF Peer Leader Manual. International Diabetes Federation [internet]

2) Funnel, M (2011) Peer Support, Education, and Mentoring. Diabetes Self-Management [internet] 

3) Nettles, A and Belton, A (2010) An overview of training curricula for diabetes peer educators. Family Practice. 27: i33-39