An approach to diabetes prevention and management: the Bhutan experience.
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Date
2016-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia
Abstract
Bhutan has been witnessing a trend of increasing diabetes in recent years. The
increase is attributed to a rise in risk factors such as overweight, high blood pressure,
unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle among the population. To address the rising
burden, the health-services response has been to establish diabetes clinics in
all hospitals and grade one basic health units. People visiting the health centres
who have high risk factors and symptoms for diabetes are screened using the
World Health Organization cut-off level for blood glucose. They are then classified
into prediabetes and diabetes. Accordingly, diet, medicine and physical activity are
recommended as per their body mass index. To improve prevention and control of
noncommunicable diseases, which include diabetes, the country piloted the WHO
Package of Essential Noncommunicable (PEN) disease interventions for primary
health care in low-resource settings in 2009, to promote early screening, treatment
and follow-up, and adopted it in 2013. The WHO PEN has now been successfully
integrated into the primary health-care system nationwide. It is planned that
diabetes clinics will be upgraded to NCD clinics.
Description
Keywords
Bhutan, diabetes, noncommunicable diseases, prevention, risk factors, screening, treatment
Citation
WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health 2016;5(1): 44-47.