Creating Diabetes Prevention Campaign

According to the Journalists Association Against AIDS (JournAIDS) Malawi, many people living with diabetes in Malawi are unaware of their condition and consequently are undiagnosed and receive no treatment or care. This can result in severe complications like nerve damage, foot ulcers leading to gangrene and amputations, visual impairment, and cardiovascular diseases. By creating awareness of diabetes and encouraging early diagnosis and care, a great deal of these complications can be prevented.

The strategy to achieve increased awareness includes the following activities:

• Radio programmes: 20 radio programmes will be broadcast once a week over five months. The programmes will feature interviews with people from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), health workers, ministry of health officials, and people with diabetes. The programmes will cover topics about basic knowledge on diabetes, its origin, and complications, and will inform about clinics that perform screening, treatment, and care being established through another WDF funded project. Each programme will last for 30 minutes and the listeners will have the opportunity to give feedback and ask questions through text messages and letters. As of July 2012, 10 radio programmes on diabetes prevention have been aired with potential audience of more than 4 million people.
• Formation of radio listening clubs: JournAIDS will also create three radio listening clubs for people with diabetes and other interested members of society, but predominantly people personally affected by diabetes. They will serve as a team of people informing the general public within their social network about the control and prevention of diabetes.
• Round table discussions: In order to gain the attention of NGOs, the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, and other associations, six round table discussions will be organised quarterly focusing on primary prevention. The discussions will take place in Blantyre, Lilongwe, and Mzuzu, which are placed in three different regions in Malawi. As of July 2012, 120 people have participated in two round table discussions sessions.
• Mobilisation campaigns conducted: Four campaigns will be conducted in Blantyre in association with the weekly market which attracts huge numbers of people. Messages on diabetes are being spread via traditional dances, poetry recitals, music performances, speeches, and through the media. Learning material in the form of posters and stickers is being distributed to the crowd. To date, one awareness campaign was conducted reaching 448 people, and primary school children have been involved in raising awareness during project launch.

As one of the first activities, JournAIDS Malawi brought together thirty journalists for training in reporting on diabetes and non-communicable diseases (NCD). After the training, the 30-member media team elected a a media team of 10 members tasked with scaling up of the awareness of NCD and diabetes by developing a media strategy. One key area identified was to advocate for a national plan for action to deal with NCD and diabetes.

In addion, World Diabetes Day 2011 was celebrated with more than 2,500 participants and a wide range of activities were conducted, including a body mass index check-up.

Diabetes, Health

Journalists Association Against AIDS Malawi, World Diabetes Foundation, College of Medicine, Diabetes Association of Malawi, Ministry of Health, Zodiak Broadcasting Station