Underwritten by the World Diabetes Foundation, Denmark.
Program Goals
- Develop the capacity to improve prevention and care of diabetes and hypertension using the World Health Organization (WHO) global HEARTS model currently being implemented by Guatemalan health department clinics.
- Devise an evaluation system to constantly measure the quality improvement of diabetes and hypertension care at national clinics using the HEARTS model.
- Design and implement a comprehensive multilevel communications strategy to:
- Create awareness about diabetes and hypertension risks.
- Stress the importance of prevention tools for reducing both diseases.
- Emphasize the importance of early detection.
- Provide information about treatment options.
Healthy Habits for Prevention of Chronic Disease in Sololá (January 2021 – December 2022)
Underwritten by the World Diabetes Foundation, Denmark.
Program Purpose
The project aims to establish a culture of chronic disease primary prevention in the department of Sololá, where Santiago Atitlán is located. It will expand awareness of preventative care by educating women community leaders to become agents of change — promoting healthy lifestyle choices in their families and communities — to reduce the risks of type II diabetes and hypertension.
Project Goals
- Producing and distributing 6,000 illustrated booklets on nutrition, physical activity, hygiene, and diabetes management in three Maya languages (K’iche’, Kaqchikel, and Tzutujil) and Spanish.
- Training 210 indigenous women who are village leaders — traditional birth attendants, school directors, teachers, cooks, and church leaders — to learn and model primary prevention methods for reducing chronic disease risk.
- Offering support to 75 women school leaders to help them comply with existing laws prohibiting unhealthy foods in schools
- Facilitating peer-to-peer training of 1,050 people.
- Planting 300 new family gardens, including providing instruction guidelines and seeds.
- Improving access to physical activities to 6,000 individuals.
“Managing Diabetes” Program
The Hospitalito Atitlán ‘Managing Diabetes’ program — funded by the World Diabetes Foundation in Denmark — began in 2012 and ended in June 2021. The first phase three-year focused on Santiago Atitlán; the second expanded the project to the lake shore towns in the department of Sololá. Phase three strengthened and expanded on the earlier programs to include towns in the highlands of Sololá.
Over the years, great strides were made in prevention and treatment of the disease:
Accomplishments
- 55,500 diabetes screenings
- 25,630 individual patients in the database
- 31 diabetes detection and education clinics were established in Sololá villages
- Diabetes education in the classroom for 12,451 children ages of 12 and 17
- 1,240 healthcare workers were trained in diabetes prevention and care
- 198 physicians
- 564 nurses
- 481 social workers, traditional birth attendants and others
- 35,000 culturally appropriate diabetes prevention booklets were distributed in Tz’utujil Kaqchikel and K’iche’.
- 9,732 diabetes recipe booklets delivered
- 14 monthly diabetes clubs were established in clinics for education and diabetes control
- Hospitalito and area medical personnel are prepared to provide integral diabetes care
- 640 patients were screened for diabetic retinopathy.
The World Diabetes Foundation continues to support Hospitalito’s mission by funding a new program “Healthy Habits” aimed to train women leaders to reduce risk of chronic disease in their families. The ‘Health Habits’ project will continue through December 2022.
Additionally, four educational videos have been created to increase awareness about diabetes prevention in Spanish (Español), Tz’utujil, Kaqchikel, and K’iche’, these videos are broadcast on local television channels all around the lake with the goal of reaching the largest possible audience. Take a look below!