FAME’s Annual World Diabetes Day Walk
November is diabetes awareness month. Every year, FAME uses this opportunity to highlight its efforts to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in our catchment area.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 80% of people with diabetes live in low and middle-income countries, where prevalence is increasing most rapidly. Tanzania’s rate of diabetes prevalence for adults ages 20-79 keeps rising, increasing by 300% in the last ten years (WorldBank). With FAME working in a resource-challenged area in rural Tanzania, we believe scaling up access to diabetes medications, care and education can minimize complications related to diabetes and reduce morbidity and mortality among people with diabetes. Whether an individual has had diabetes for years or is newly diagnosed, diabetes education programs lead to happier and healthier lifestyles.
This November, FAME hosted its third World Diabetes Day Walk to raise awareness of the impact of diabetes and the importance of physical activity in managing diabetes. The walk also highlighted FAME as a center providing crucial diabetes care and treatment. First started in 2019, the FAME diabetes walk took a break in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in 2021.
This year's walk had 58 participants from the community, a 16% increase from last year. Starting from the Mazingira Bora grounds in Karatu, the group walked 2.1 miles to FAME, carrying a banner that read “Health Education for Better Tomorrow.” Once at FAME, participants received free diabetes and blood pressure screening. Ten people with diabetes were identified and enrolled in our diabetes clinic.
The FAME diabetes clinic began in 2018 and is designed to provide patients with the necessary knowledge and skills to set a solid foundation for successful self-management. Understanding diabetes is the first step towards managing and preventing it. Lack of diabetes knowledge often causes patients to underestimate how serious diabetes is, and many people wait until they experience complications before seeking treatment.
The FAME diabetes clinic started with 95 patients; the following year, it grew to over 300 patients! That number has now stabilized at around 130 patients per year. The patients receive instruction on topics such as how medications and insulin work, blood glucose monitoring, diet and nutrition and possible complications. They return to the clinic every three months for their HbA1C (blood test showing your average blood sugar) test. Patients who manage their blood sugar can significantly reduce the onset and severity of complications.
FAME Diabetes Walk 2019
FAME Diabetes Walk 2021
FAME Diabetes Walk 2022
FAME deals not only with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes but also gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that can develop in women during pregnancy. This condition may disappear spontaneously after delivery, but if misdiagnosed and mismanaged, it may lead to long-term health risks for the mother and the child.
At FAME’s prenatal clinic, blood sugar is one of the first tests a woman receives when she comes in for her prenatal check-up. If diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the woman is enrolled in FAME’s High-Risk Clinic.
The High-Risk clinic offers special monitoring and care throughout a woman’s pregnancy, including blood sugar tests to monitor the health of the mother and fetus, lifestyle recommendations and medication, if necessary. So far, in 2022, FAME has cared for 14 women with gestational diabetes, all with positive outcomes.
William Mhapa (front) with FAME’s Co-Founders and Co-Directors, Dr. Frank Artress and Susan Gustafson.
“FAME hospital Management and our staff believe in the well-being of all our dear patients. On this day, we are happy to shine some light on the community highlighting the importance of education for better health. We will continue to invest in the health and wellness of our patients sustainably. Welcome to FAME and enjoy the services”