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Insulin my Life - Project

SO FAR ACHIEVEMENTS:

Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE) in collaboration with Health Promotion Foundation (HPF) was the first to give the concept of multidisciplinary care team and is the pioneer institute in the field of diabetes in Pakistan aiming to provide comprehensive and standardized diabetes care to the diabetic subjects in a resource poor environment. A collaborative study between BIDE and Diabetic association of Pakistan and WHO collaborating center (DAP), was conducted in 2007 to assess the mode of presentation and prevalence of acute and chronic complications in type 1 diabetes mellitus in Pakistan. The study revealed very high complication rate in subjects with 10 years disease duration of T1DM. Among the study subjects, 20% had nephropathy, 42.3% were hypertensive, 17.2% had neuropathy and 25% had developed retinopathy (15). This study was ... used as a baseline data to explore the reasons for this alarmingly high complication rate. Lack of education, poverty, accessibility and affordability of insulin were found to be among the main determinants especially in rural areas of Pakistan (3). To address the lack of insulin, in 2008 a MOU was signed between DAP and Eli Lilly Pakistan for the donation of 8000 insulin vials among non-affording type 1 diabetic subjects. These vials were distributed through a network of post graduate diploma doctors, trained by BIDE across the Sindh province of Pakistan. During this process, lack of standardized and comprehensive care for type 1 subjects is further identified because of improper health infrastructure. Realizing the need, BIDE with the collaboration of World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) and DAP started a project in 2010 naming “Insulin My Life” (IML) in Sindh Province of Pakistan. The aim of the project was;
Provision of standardized care for patients with type 1 diabetes by educating doctors and diabetes educators.
Imparting patient education and provision of free medical supplies including insulin to non-affording patients with type 1 diabetes.
To create awareness in the community regarding type 1 diabetes.
Provision of standardized care for patients with type 1 diabetes by educating doctors and diabetes educators. IML established 34 type 1 diabetic clinics along with the provision of all essential clinical equipment including fundoscopes. The post graduate diploma doctors were further trained in the management of T1DM by the faculty of BIDE. At least one Diabetes Educator for every clinic is also trained for dealing the day to day issues of type 1 subjects.
Through IML, more than 2000 non-affording T1D subjectshave been provided withfree consultations, medical supplies like 300,000 plus vials of insulin, 120,000 plus penfils, 2000 plus glucometers, and 950,000 strips. Worthwhile mentioning thatmore than 40,000 free HbA1c testsand more than 20,000 free Microalbumin tests havebeen provided to all subjects; twiceand once a year, respectively
One thousand camps were conducted to create awareness in community for the condition, 300,000 teachers were sensitized not only to understand the condition but specifically to deal with the acute emergencies in children. Education material for T1D subjects, parents and community people were developed in English, Urdu and Sindhi languages. Special camps involving T1D subjects in different healthy activities like drawing, painting, sports and games were organized.Around 100,000 people reached through awareness camps.
Awareness through print and electronic media were also targeted and 30 FM radio programs along with 18 TV programs were recorded and telecasted. Advertisements and public service messages were printed in all leading newspapers with English, Urdu and Sindhi languages. Arrangement of annual T1D awareness walk is also ensured on the event of world diabetes day. A dedicated website http://www.insulinmylife.com was designed by IML to make all the relevant information available electronically.
The “Life for a child program” (LFAC) of IDF has very kindly extended its support to IML in 2011. Now insulin, glucometers, strips, HbA1c testing, education material and research related activities is also being sponsored by LFAC.
With the collaboration of Health Research Advisory Board, BIDE has recently initiated the Diabetes Registry of Pakistan (DROP) under the supervision of Prof. Abdul Basit and Dr. Asher Fawwad to quantify the magnitude of the national disease burden. For type 1 diabetes, DROP-1 has already started gathering the data under the leadership of Prof. Muhammad Yakoob Ahmedani, Principal Investigator of IML.
IML presented five research abstracts at International and National platforms by using the collected data. A multicenter and multinational immunological and genetics study is in process to report this data for the first time from this part of the world. Data analysis for a research publication is in process to ascertain the impact of IML project through comprehensive and standardized care on the complications outcomes. Based on the findings, further new milestones will be set for the future to improve the condition further.

International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) awarded travel grants to Dr. Asher Fawwad, IML co-investigator, for two consecutive years (2015-16) to participate in annual ISPAD events to get hands on experience of managing T1D from researchers and specialist clinicians from all around the world.
T1D subjects enrolled in IML, participated in international Art Competition “My Life with Diabetes” and win top prizes in their respective categories. (16,17)
We do charity events every month

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