To enhance the capacity of the national health system in responding to diabetes and to ensure continuity, sustainability and long-term effectiveness of diabetes care in the West Bank.
The project seeks to enhance the national health system and partners’ capacity to continue providing diabetes care. It builds on the previous achievements of WDF-funded projects (mainly Phase I WDF15-1304 and Phase II WDF20-1767 of the Palestine National Diabetes Programme), which led to the establishment of 21 model and intermediate clinics and one mobile clinic providing comprehensive diabetes care across the West Bank. The project will expand on clinic-based and community-based interventions to increase accessibility of services to vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities, while also addressing some of the gaps in the NCD response, such as the need for better data management and specialised capacity building. To achieve this, proposed project activities include: 1. Expanding the comprehensive diabetes care model within two new health centres through multi-disciplinary integrated care teams, personalised care plans and patient education. These clinics will be equipped to test and continuously monitor HbA1c, foot care and retinopathy for timely intervention, and will receive patients referred from intermediate clinics. 2. Expanding community-based interventions to new areas and refugee camps, focusing on patient education, wide-scale awareness community campaigns, including school-based initiatives, pre-diabetes programmes with UNRWA and community-based organisations; and establishing an online awareness platform for diabetes prevention and self-care. 3. Capacity building of HCPs in diabetes care, through on-the-job training and specialised diabetes footcare; refresher training for HCPs in existing clinics and training of community workers to provide psychosocial support. 4. Enhancing surveillance and quality of care through the establishment of a national diabetes registry to be integrated within the Ministry’s health information management system.5. Introducing telehealth services for remote prevention and enhanced access to consultations. 6. Enhancing coordination through NCD committee stakeholders, conducting a clinical audit for the model clinics, and issuing a policy paper to advocate for the integration of diabetes care in humanitarian response and the need for more co-funding.
• A national diabetes registry established within the Palestinian Ministry of Health (PMoH), with at least 60% of patients visiting targeted facilities registered.• 150 healthcare professionals (HCPs), including doctors and nurses from 2 new model clinics, to receive on-the-job training on diabetes care by AVH, and 10 HCPs to receive specialised training on diabetes footcare. Existing clinic HCPs to receive refresher training as necessary, and 25 social workers to receive training in psychosocial support.• At least 25,000 persons with diabetes to receive comprehensive diabetes care, including at least 3,000 persons screened for diabetes complications, 250 women followed up and treated for hyperglycaemia in pregnancy, and 900 patients to receive consultations through telehealth services.• 500 persons in refugee camps to be reached through a pre-diabetes programme focusing on nutrition and physical activity.• An estimated 300,000 people to be reached through awareness-raising campaigns, including initiatives in schools.