Supporting People Living with Diabetes Disease in Fiji through awareness, control and prevention, in advocacy workshops and consultations in outreach visits to rural villages promoting learning more about how to manage diabetes to stay well and healthy, utilising diabetes educators, allied health professionals, and counsellors.
FijiLIFE Foundation has established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Diabetes Fiji Inc to assist people living with diabetes in Fiji.
In a recent report on Primary Level Diabetes Care Capacity Building Project, Diabetes Fiji reported:
“Diabetes Fiji Inc in partnership with Ministry of health and Medical Services rolled out the Primary Level Diabetes Care Capacity Building Project in 2013, with a view to Strengthening primary level Diabetes care and promoting diabetes awareness, through the support of World Diabetes Foundation.
The choice of this Goal reflects a desire to optimise the clinical management of diabetics and to decrease the morbidity related to Diabetic sepsis and amputations. Based on NCD Steps Survey in 2002 and other anecdotal studies, Diabetes remains a major burden for the Ministry and the prevalence currently stands at 16.2%. The prevalence has increased 4-fold in less than 2 decades, from 4% in 1985 to 16% in 2002.
There is also lack of awareness among people of their diabetic status and only 12% who were part of 2002 NCD Step survey were controlled with medication. Ministry of Health of Health’s Annual report also states that the admission to hospitals for Diabetes and its complications doubled over the past years.
The economic burden from the disease is also demonstrated by staggering 20% of offshore expenditure by Fiji Spent on Diabetes related complications. Further, according to the World Health Report (2003) and about 6% of the health budget is spent on Diabetes. Diabetes accounts for about 5% of admissions to surgical units and in many cases patients undergo 5-7 surgical intervention before amputation.
The amputation rate from Diabetes has been gradually increasing from 20 to 36 per 100 admissions over the past 5years. There were total of 1445 admissions for Diabetes and its complications in 2009 of which 32% had ulcers, 4% had renal complications and 3% with eye complications such as cataract, background and proliferative retinopathy.
Given the above status of a diabetic related complication which has led to a major burden for the Ministry of Health in Fiji, a systematic and comprehensive approach is required. Considering the broad nature of Diabetes related issues, the project focussed mainly on clinical management and prevention of diabetic footcare in Fiji.”
Source: Diabetes Fiji Inc Evaluation Report, Primary Level Diabetes Care Capacity Building Project.
Diabetes Fiji Inc Facebook Page >>
How common is Diabetes?
The Fijian Ministry of Health & Medical Services reported:
Worldwide, diabetes caused 5.1 million deaths in 2013. Every six seconds a person dies from diabetes.
Diabetes is very common in Fiji and the number of people with diabetes is growing. Currently almost 1 in every 3 Fijians is being diagnosed with diabetes, that’s 30% of the population. Type 2 diabetes is more common than Type 1, it is also more easily avoided if the correct healthy lifestyle is adopted.
There are also many people in Fiji living with diabetes who may not even know it because they don’t have the symptoms, it is important to get your blood sugar tested regularly to avoid Diabetes related complications further down the track.
There is an urgent need for FijiLIFE Foundation’s support of individuals with diabetes in Fiji. FijiLIFE Foundation will promote diabetes awareness in rural communities and strengthen primary level diabetes care working with local communities and organisations in Fiji to prevent and carefully manage the disease.
We supporters, we looking to secure AUD$36,000 to develop a mobile treatment system for villagers initially throughout Viti Levu, providing ready access to diabetes testing, education, and dietary requirements.
