Management Program for children with diabetes, China

Objectives

Type 1 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes in children, but changes in lifestyle, urbanisation and growing obesity amongst children in China, has changed this picture somewhat and increasingly more cases of type 2 diabetes - the type of diabetes that normally affects adults is being noticed in Chinese children.

Access to quality health care is crucial not only to screen and diagnose children early, but also to be able to cater to the special needs that children and adolescents have. As children with diabetes will have longer exposure to a life time of high blood glucose level their risks of getting complications is much higher. Early detection and proper care can delay or prevent complications related to the eye, foot, skin, high blood pressure, heart diseases, kidney diseases etc. In China, lack of health care resources, , lack of understanding amongst the children's, families and the society are some of the barriers preventing children with diabetes to receive quality care.

The project's aim is to improve access to quality care for children with diabetes by strengthening the health care system.

Approach

WDF has funded several projects in China, but so far none of them has focused on children with diabetes. Tongji Hospital attached to the Huazhong University of Science and Technology is initiating this project for children with diabetes in collaboration with the Chinese Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and the Bureau of Hospital Administration, Ministry of Health.

Through strengthening the health care system, and educating and involving the parents in the management of the disease, the project partners aims at improving care and reducing or preventing diabetes related complications amongst children with diabetes.

Results at completion

• 33 pediatric diabetes diagnostics and treatment centres established
• 224 trainers trained
• 820 health care personnel trained in diabetes control of children
• 1,681 children tested and treated at the 33 centres
• 90 diabetes camps conducted for 1,681 children and 3,362 parents
• Survey conducted including 2,801 people