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World diabetes Foundation Grant

Associate Professor Usman Malabu Awarded World Diabetes Foundation Grant for Diabetes and Tuberculosis in Papua New Guinea

Associate Professor Usman Malabu consultant diabetes and endocrine specialist received prestigious international grant award –World Diabetes Foundation worth US$228,914 for training PNG health professionals to manage diabetes (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) in PNG’s New Ireland Province. The 3-year project includes public health campaign to be conducted by trained community health workers and use of innovative mobile phone software in local languages to assist in monitoring and treating the 2 diseases by patients themselves.  

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has the highest incidence of TB in the Western Pacific region which makes co-existence with diabetes a substantial health burden. Approximately 42% of all TB cases in the Pacific may be attributable to diabetes. Patients with concurrent DM suffer worse TB treatment outcomes in the form of relapse and death than patients with TB alone. Mobile phones are well accepted and widely used technology in PNG. While public health campaigns are not new, the mode of delivery using personal mobile phones has not been utilised in improving the care of patients with diabetes and TB in the region.  The mobile phone technology will assist in appropriately targeting the education and management of diabetes and TB in the area. Thus the project hopes to reduce the combined burden of diabetes and TB by increasing the acceptability and availability of DM and TB services in rural/remote communities in New Ireland Province.

Project Title

Increased awareness of  and access to diabetes and tuberculosis care

Country/Province where the project will be conducted

Papua New Guinea, New Ireland Province

Period of the project

1st July 2016 - 30th June 2019

Institution

James Cook University Australia

Objectives

The project aims to increase public awareness of diabetes/tuberculosis (TB) and improve care of the 2 diseases in New Ireland Province in PNG.

Methods

This project will train doctors, nurses, pharmacists (health care providers –HCP) and community health workers to conduct public health campaigns and to screen and treat diabetes and to monitor the diseases with the help of mobile phone technology. In addition the HCP will have additional skills training to further enhance the diabetes and TB care that they can provide.

Intended Project Results

The project hopes to reduce the burden of diabetes and TB by increasing the acceptability and availability of services in rural/remote communities in PNG.

Amount awarded

USD 228,914

Your application to the World Diabetes Foundation titled ‘Increased awareness of and access to diabetes and tuberculosis care’ was reviewed by the Board of Directors of the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) at its meeting on 8 March 2016.

On behalf of the Board of WDF, I am pleased to inform you that the Board decided to support this application with the requested amount of USD 228,914 under the condition that a Project Partnership Agreement is duly signed.

World Diabetes Foundation
Brogårdsvej 70
2820 Gentofte
Denmark
+45 30750139 (mobile)
blpn@worlddiabetesfoundation.org
www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org