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Credit: International Diabetes Federation
Over 250 million people worldwide live with diabetes, many in the Middle East. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) BRIDGES translational research grant program is implementing and evaluating community programs to reverse the diabetes epidemic by supporting a diabetes awareness and prevention project in Jordan.
The Jordan Diabetes Micro-Clinic project is part of the Global Micro-Clinic Project, a program that seeks to empower people to prevent and manage diseases in economically disadvantaged and conflict-afflicted areas of the world. The project seeks to provide people with diabetes with health education opportunities and practical experience through workshops and social support groups or “micro clinics”. Through the Micro-Clinics, people with diabetes can collectively maintain and share access to diabetes management and education.
In Jordan the picture of diabetes is as alarming as the rest of the region. Currently, 9.8% percent of the population lives with diabetes and this number is expected to rise to 11.5% within 20 years. According to the International Diabetes Federation, of the Top 10 countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes, five are in the Middle East. In the United Arab Emirates, 19.5% of the population is affected by diabetes; in Saudi Arabia, it is 16.7%; In Bahrain 15.2%, in Kuwait 14.4% and in Oman 13.1%. By 2025, the 380 million people will live with diabetes worldwide and these five countries will remain in the top ten.[1]
The Jordanian Micro-clinic project has been designed to reverse this growing epidemic. The project team will work through the Jordanian Ministry of Health and health centres in the cities of Irbid, Ajloun and Karak, as well as in the rural areas and refugee camps in surrounding areas. The project has already successfully been piloted in 300 micro-clinics in Amman. Micro-clinics are formed through existing social networks where members share equipment, information and medical resources. They also provide a psycho-social support system for each person with diabetes in the micro-clinic who is in dealing with managing this chronic condition.
“We believe that the growing diabetes epidemic is one of the largest public health challenges facing the Kingdom of Jordan and indeed the Middle East region as a whole. The Global Micro-Clinic Project and its partners are committed to addressing this problem in empowering the people of Jordan to secure a healthy and prosperous future”, said Daniel Zoughbie, founder and director of the Global Micro Clinic Project.
According to Zoughbie, the successful implementation of the Micro Clinic Project will promote wellness, alleviate the economic burden of poor health, and provide a model comprehensive public health approach to the management of diabetes in Jordan. The Community- based micro-clinics will provide further access to diabetes education and management through local outreach, diabetes awareness and trainings.
“Prevention and education messages are well-needed in the Middle East Region. According to IDF Diabetes Atlas data, the Middle East has some of the highest diabetes rates in the world,” said Dr. Linda Siminerio, Chair of the IDF BRIDGES Review Committee. “The region is a time bomb waiting to explode unless programs like the Jordanian Micro-clinic Project help to educate people and prevent diabetes. The BRIDGES program is ready to support them in their efforts.”
The Federation, through BRIDGES, is committed to converting research findings into useful practices for the provision of quality care and services. The diabetes education program in Jordan, along with the 10 other selected translational research projects, was chosen because of its innovative idea, demonstration of the potential for health care cost savings, sustainability plans and the opportunity for its results to be widely replicated in other settings.
The International Diabetes Federation independently manages the BRIDGES program with an educational grant from Eli Lilly and Company and is committed to promoting diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide.
Reference: [1] Diabetes Atlas 3rd Edition, International Diabetes Federation, 2006.
Note to editors:
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is the global advocate for the over 250 million people with diabetes worldwide. It represents over 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 countries. Its mission is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. The International Diabetes Federation is an NGO in official relations with the World Health Organization and an associated NGO with the United Nations Department of Public Information. The International Diabetes Federation leads the World Diabetes Day campaign. Additional information is available at www.idf.org.
Bringing Research in Diabetes to Global Environments and Systems (BRIDGES) is the global translational grant programme of the International Diabetes Federation. It solicits proposals that support cost effective and sustainable interventions that can be adopted in real world settings, for the prevention and control of diabetes. Projects should be based on interventions already proven to be effective in trials to prevent and treat diabetes, to improve care of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and delay its complications. The interventions proposed should have the potential to be widely disseminated to clinical practice, individuals and communities. For more information, visit http://www.idfbridges.org.
The Global Micro-Clinic Project (GMCP) is a non-profit that seeks to empower people to prevent and manage diseases in economically depressed and conflict ridden areas of the world. Initially piloted in the West Bank in Palestine with people with diabetes, it has recently expanded to Jordan. Find out more at http://microclinicproject.org/