NCD Hard Talk: The sector is failing people with diabetes, why does access to rehabilitation and assistive technology remain an illusion?

Nov 23, 2021 01:00 PM CET

Today, about half a billion people live with diabetes. This number is estimated to rise to 578 million by 2030 and to 700 million by 2045.

Globally, diabetes is among the top 10 causes of death and disability. Over time diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and lower limb amputation. The severity of these complications requires health service inputs from a wide range of health care professionals, including providers of rehabilitation and assistive technology. Despite it is well recognized that comprehensive management of diabetes requires action to prevent, diagnose and manage complications through rehabilitation and the provision of assistive technology, person-centered comprehensive management for people with diabetes is far from being a reality in many parts of the world.

This is of particular concern in low-and middle-income countries where three out of four people living with diabetes reside. In these settings, the rehabilitation and assistive technology services are often placed outside of the health system and are delivered in fragmented services with limited reach. Given this reality, the integration of rehabilitation and assistive technology services at the primary healthcare (PHC) level has been identified as a practical and cost-effective service delivery model.

This NCD Hard Talk will provide a virtual platform to highlight the need and benefits of integrating rehabilitation and assistive technology for diabetes management at the PHC level. Specifically, speakers will focus on existing challenges and how to address them.