Sustainable care for youth living with T1DM in Rwanda

Objectives

Provide support to children and youth with T1DM in Rwanda focusing on quality of care/selfcare and digital health for better patient monitoring and follow up.

Approach

Project activities include two tracks:

Diabetes care for T1DM:

- Specialised diabetes care provided by RDA to all registered children and youth with T1DM in Rwanda, services to be gradually transferred to NCD clinics at district hospitals. Services will include:
- Quarterly visits by RDA mobile team to all 40 district hospitals to provide regular diabetes check-up (including screening for complications), diabetes education and distribution of supplies to T1DM children and youth in need.
- RDA working along-side hospital NCD staff with the purpose of gradual transfer of knowledge, skills and management of the T1DM patients.
- Annual summer camps targeting vulnerable T1DM children and youth and caretakers to enhance diabetes self-management and self-esteem.

Quality monitoring and follow up of patients:

- Monitoring, follow-up and clinical outcomes for T1DM patients will be enhanced through:
- Establishment of an electronic registry of T1DM patients: transferring the paper-based registry to an electronic version, training of data collectors and
continuous, systematic data collection of T1DM patients’ data.
- Liaison and collaboration with PhD research project using the electronic registry to improve monitoring, follow up and care for T1DM patients (PhD to be funded separately).

Results at completion

• Electronic patient registry established
• 40 NCD clinics at district hospitals strengthened to provide quality T1DM care
• Three camps for a total of 300 T1DM children and youth and their parents
• 3,599 T1DM patients and parents trained in self-management
• 838 (79.9%) T1DM patients with regular attendance to clinic (e.g. four times per year)
• 754 (73%) T1DM patients within agreed targets for glucose control
• 49 meetings with health authorities / policy makers to discuss project outcomes

Project information

  • Project Nr.:
    WDF20-1740
  • Project status:
    Implementation phase
  • Intervention areas:
    Access to care
  • Region:
    Africa
  • Country:
    Rwanda
  • Partners:
    Association Rwandaise des Diabetiques
  • Project period:
    2020 2024
  • Project budget:
    USD 230,647.00
  • WDF contribution:
    USD 230,647.00