An initiative to improve how diabetes is managed at primary health-care level in Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya region is at the heart of a WHO project, run in partnership with the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF). The project aims to support Uzbekistan’s government in transforming diabetes care towards a more integrated and people-centred approach, empowering patients with diabetes to take an active role in managing their own health and well-being.
Ms Zamira Sharipova is one of the patients whose journey with diabetes has shifted significantly, leading to a remarkable improvement in her well-being. “I started to exercise more, eat healthier, and lost weight taking my diabetes drugs regularly,” she explains. “With the prescription my doctor makes on her computer, I can even get my medicine for free,” she continues. “But you know what the best part is? My blood sugar levels are finally staying steady, thanks to the nurses and doctors who keep calling and visiting me at home.”
A crucial aspect of this transformation has been enhanced accessibility and quality of health-care services coordinated around people’s needs. Instead of spending entire days in long queues, Zamira can now schedule appointments over the phone, saving her valuable time. Personalized guidance on nutrition and exercise is provided on a regular basis by her family nurse.
More effective and quality care
Health-care professionals echo the importance of empowering patients like Zamira to take an active role in their health, as it equips them with the knowledge and tools needed to manage their condition effectively.
Additionally, numerous improvements have contributed to the paradigm shift towards a more integrated and people-centred diabetes care. This includes improved patient pathways, targeted trainings on patient perspectives, and new roles and responsibilities for family nurses and family doctors working as one team in close collaboration with specialists at hospitals to ensure that timely, specialized care is provided when needed, while maintaining the continuity and quality of care.
These advancements were spotlighted during a visit by WHO and WDF as part of a broader project aimed at improving noncommunicable disease (NCD) control at primary health-care level, with a special focus on diabetes management and the prevention of its complications.
The project is entitled “Improving access for the prevention and control of NCD in primary care in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan”. It adopts a multifaceted approach, focused on improving access to quality care, with a view to emphasizing the role of the primary health-care approach, strengthening health-care providers’ capacity, enhancing patient empowerment, and implementing evidence-based policies. It leverages the WHO PEN model and the WHO HEARTS technical package to help to address critical gaps in diabetes and NCD management.
The goal is to establish demonstration projects in Syrdarya region in Uzbekistan and Chüy region in Kyrgyzstan, which will pave the way for eventual roll-out and scale-up across the countries. The inputs include training of health-care providers, development of clinical protocols, establishment of digital platforms for clinical supervision, and formulation of roadmaps for preventing complications. By empowering patients, enhancing health-care capacity, and advocating for evidence-based policies, this project endeavours to significantly improve diabetes and NCD care, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for people with diabetes in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.