By Dr Joana Ansong, Staff Lead for the Common Well being Protection, Communicable and Noncommunicable Illnesses (UCN) Cluster
Diabetes stays a significant world well being problem, particularly in low- and middle-income nations like Ghana, the place non-communicable illnesses (NCDs) are chargeable for roughly 45% of all deaths, with cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes being the main contributors. This alarming statistic underscores the pressing want for larger motion to handle these well being dangers. World Diabetes Day 2024 celebrated below the theme “Breaking Obstacles, Bridging Gaps” arrives at a vital second, highlighting our shared dedication to lowering diabetes dangers and making certain equitable, complete, and high-quality diabetes care is accessible to all. This theme calls on us to get rid of the boundaries that hinder progress, empowering people, and communities to handle and forestall diabetes extra successfully.
Ghana’s Progress in Diabetes Care: A Collaborative Effort
Ghana has made vital strides in diabetes care and non-communicable illness (NCD) administration, marking a promising path ahead. Initiatives just like the NCD Mission and the D-Card program are driving this transformation, specializing in strengthening governance, advancing workforce coaching, and leveraging modern applied sciences. These efforts are on the core of enhancing diabetes prevention and administration providers throughout the nation, paving the best way for a extra resilient and responsive healthcare system for all Ghanaians.
With help from NORAD, the NCD venture has been pivotal in enhancing the prevention and administration of NCDs, together with diabetes whereas the D-Card program has enhanced the concentrate on cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes by scaling up built-in providers on the main healthcare (PHC) stage.
Constructing a Robust Healthcare Workforce
Ghana has adopted the World Well being Group (WHO) Bundle of Important Noncommunicable (PEN) Illness Interventions, which goals to scale up important NCD providers and cut back the illness burden. A key part of this initiative is the great coaching packages designed to empower well being employees on the PHC stage.
Main healthcare performs a pivotal position in combating non-communicable illnesses (NCDs), with healthcare employees now higher outfitted to steer these efforts. Moreover, below the WHO-PEN module, well being facilities throughout the nation have adopted routine screenings for early detection and remedy of diabetes. This shift from a reactive to a proactive method marks a major development in addressing diabetes and different NCDs on the frontline of care.
Empowering Sufferers Via Self-Care and Assist Teams
Managing diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses requires long-term care, way of life changes, and affected person empowerment. Ghana’s healthcare system acknowledges the crucial position of self-care in enhancing the standard of life for folks residing with persistent situations. Self-care coaching packages are designed to equip people with the abilities wanted to handle their situations at residence, cut back problems, and improve general well being outcomes.
Affected person help group conferences have performed an important position in strengthening relationships between healthcare suppliers and sufferers, making a priceless area for open communication and shared studying. These conferences, if replicated throughout the nation will significantly improve belief and collaboration, permitting sufferers and suppliers to attach, alternate insights, and foster a supportive group that encourages higher well being outcomes.
Leveraging Know-how for Higher Well being Outcomes
One of many standout achievements of those initiatives is the event of the DHIS2 eTracker, a digital well being platform that allows healthcare employees to gather, retailer, and entry affected person information in real-time. This digital software is enhancing healthcare employees’ capability to watch affected person outcomes over time, monitor illness development, and make data-driven selections. This enables service suppliers to observe sufferers’ well being journeys extra carefully, enhancing their means to ship well timed, customized care.
Addressing Challenges and Trying Forward
Regardless of this progress, Ghana nonetheless faces challenges in managing diabetes successfully. Restricted entry to important drugs, fragmented healthcare providers, and insufficient information administration programs are vital boundaries. The shortage of a complete nationwide diabetes registry hampers efforts to watch illness tendencies and allocate sources effectively.
To handle these challenges, Ghana is taking a proactive method by to pilot a diabetes e-registry on the Korle-Bu Instructing Hospital Centre of Excellence. This digital registry will enable for real-time information entry, enhancing the flexibility to trace affected person outcomes and tendencies in diabetes administration.
Celebrating Achievements, Renewing Commitments
The mixed efforts of the NCD venture and D-Card initiatives have set a brand new commonplace for diabetes care in Ghana. These initiatives have expanded entry to crucial providers, strengthened healthcare programs, and laid the groundwork for a extra resilient healthcare infrastructure to help built-in NCD providers on the PHC stage.
As we have fun World Diabetes Day 2024, we renew our dedication to breaking boundaries and bridging gaps in diabetes care. With the continued help of the World Well being Group (WHO) and companions, Ghana is on the trail to lowering the burden of diabetes and different NCDs, making certain that everybody has entry to reasonably priced, high-quality healthcare.
Let’s be part of palms this World Diabetes Day to unfold consciousness, help these residing with diabetes, and work in direction of a more healthy, extra equitable future for all. Collectively, we are able to break boundaries, bridge gaps, and make an enduring affect.
For Extra Info or to Request Interviews, Please contact:
Abdul-Lahie Abdul-Rahim Naa
Communications Officer
WHO Ghana Nation Workplace
Electronic mail: abdullahiea [at] who.int (abdullahiea[at]who[dot]int)
Tel: +233 20 196 2393