Defeat Diabetes in Central Africa

My name is Gabor and I would be thrilled if you could join with me in this campaign, to help DEFEAT DIABETES in Central Africa.

I represent a small group based at Trinity Church in Lewes, Sussex, which has helped various communities in several Central African countries over a number of years. The work initially started in Rwanda but more recently, with expansion of its networks, it has spread to neighbouring areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The diverse inputs have included health care, nutrition, agronomics, water harvesting, storage and filtration, all of which have a direct and indirect bearing on community health.

Demonstrating the use of a water filter

Constructing a water storage tank

I, myself, am a retired General Practitioner. I have always taken an interest in diabetes management, and ran diabetic clinics throughout my career in General Practice, between 1987 and 2015. I have also been privileged to work in Africa in 1985 to 1986, in a hospital in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire). I became involved with the Trinity group in early 2020, when I was invited to participate in an educational convention in South-West Rwanda organised by the leaders of local churches for health-care workers, focusing on the prevention and management of diabetes. This had been requested because of the steep rise in the numbers of people contracting the condition and eventually becoming incapacitated by or even dying as a result of its complications. Delegates attended from both Rwanda and the neighbouring South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Lecturing in Rwanda

Demonstration of testing foot sensation in diabetic feet.

It proved to be very successful, firing the enthusiasm of the delegates and generating ideas about how to improve access to education about, and provide more appropriate care within their local communities.

Group photo of lecturers and leaders

Everyone however, was aware of the enormity of the task because of the limited availability of even basic health care infrastructure and the inconsistency of access to necessary equipment and medications, not to mention financial constraints, especially in the DRC.

Bearing these obstacles in mind, upon our return, I began to explore the possibilities of collaborating with other charities and NGOs to help advance some of their ideas. My search acquainted me with Health Poverty Action (HPA)*, who from the outset, demonstrated a genuine interest in working with us, and as a result of its headquarters being located in Kenya and Rwanda, has provided invaluable input with their local knowledge and experience.

Health Poverty Action's goal

In spite of setbacks due to negative or absent responses to my communications from several organisations which I had approached about sponsorship and/or possible collaboration, it was evident from ongoing correspondence with our African contacts, that there continued to be a desire among them to tackle the mounting problems of diabetes. They emphasized the need of further education for their local health workers, as well as availability of easily understandable materials which could be distributed to the public about relevant topics, such as diabetes prevention, healthy nutrition, risks of obesity, lifestyle change etc.

Information leaflet (English & Swahili)

Simple information leaflet (French)

In a recent meeting we agreed that because of uncertainties about the availability of monitoring equipment and treatment at point of delivery, a good starting point would be to focus on appropriate preventative health education, as this would likely be the least complex to organise (although we have not abandoned providing other means of support, should there be accessibility both to sufficient funds and essential resources).

Disabled diabetic patient with new monitoring equipment

Diabetic patient gets new blood pressure monitor

We explored the pros and cons of different teaching methods, both face-to-face and on-line, looking at such issues as acceptability to the audience, cost-effectiveness, impact on the providers, environmental impact, availability of local venues, and availability and reliability of internet. We are currently looking at the option of on-line educational sessions for health workers, but we have not completely ruled out an initial field visit to carry out feasibility studies.

Setting up the work will take time, expertise and availability of funds. With its many years of experience working with underprivileged communities in Africa, we are very fortunate to have Health Poverty Action as our partners, especially Tad Kassaye, who will act as our adviser on the practicability of suggested plans, as supervisor for ensuring their effective delivery, and as treasurer, holding funds collected in the UK and transferred to HPA's African account, and distributing them to where and when they are needed to help advance the work.

Out-patient clinic

Although I cannot currently give any specific costings for setting up educational classes as described, as far as provision of essential equipment for initiating basic diabetic care is concerned, your donation of 20 Pounds will buy either a blood pressure monitor or a blood glucose monitoring kit and one of 15 pounds will purchase 50 blood glucose test strips, enough to last nearly two months for most patients.

A typical Glucometer

I hope that you will join me in helping to fund this valuable venture, about which I am passionate. On behalf of everybody involved, I would like to thank you in advance for your contribution, however big or small, and would like to emphasize that your donation will go directly to fund this project.

*Health Poverty Action acts in solidarity with health workers, activists and communities worldwide to improve health and challenge the causes of poverty. Together we demand health justice and challenge the power imbalances that currently deny them their rights. We believe health is not just the absence of disease, but a combination of physical, mental and social well-being.