Diabetes care in delta state of Nigeria: An expository review

Diabetes care in delta state of Nigeria: An expository review

Background: Diabetes is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality with associated enormous burden and cost of care. To address this problem in Delta State, Nigeria, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is funding a ‘peer-education intervention’ project under the Bringing Research in Diabetes to Global Environments and Systems (BRIDGES2) program.

Objective: To provide clarification on the current state of diabetes care in the IDF BRIDGES2 project site.

Methods: Semi-systematic review design was used to assess critical literature on African Journals Online, google search, PubMed and Science Direct as well as information available from the Delta State. Relevant search terms included diabetes care in Nigeria, diabetes care in Delta State, diabetes care in the Niger-Delta region, and diabetes care in Southern Nigeria.

Findings: There is evidence of poor awareness as well as gap in ‘knowledge, attitude and practice’ of the disease in communities in Delta State. In particular, there is poor organization of diabetes care because of the dearth of well-trained diabetes specialists and necessary network. Lack of team work, non-availability of screening programs, poor government’ behavioural change wheel and poor referral service system are identified themes of interest.

Conclusion: There is the need for a multi-prong approach to diabetes care to improve community awareness and health literacy programs. The ‘peer-education intervention’ project IDF BRIDGES2 will be very beneficial in this regard. Further, the task to reduce diabetes risk and improve self-management will benefit from establishment of more diabetes clinics, networks and registers in all health facilities.