Christian Medical College in Vellore is one of the centres supported by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Life for a Child (LFAC)Program.
It is estimated that there are approximately 542,000 children under the age of 15 years with type 1 diabetes worldwide. 86,000 new cases are diagnosed each year and numbers are rising between 3-5% per year (IDF Atlas 7th Ed., Brussels 2015).
In less-resourced countries, many children quickly die from mis-diagnosis or lack of insulin and of experienced medical care. Blood glucose monitoring and diabetes education are often not available.
For those who survive, early and serious complications frequently lead to death in young adulthood.
The IDF LFAC Program was established in 2000 and is managed from Sydney, Australia with support from Diabetes NSW.TheProgram is currently helping over 17,000 CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH DIABETES IN 46 COUNTRIES
OUR VISION
No child should die of diabetes
OUR MISSION: To support the provision of the best possible health care, given local circumstances, to all children and youth with diabetes in developing countries, through the strengthening of diabetes services in these countries.
Children and young people can be supported to the age of 26 years.
The Program aims to provide:
– Insulin and syringes
– Blood glucose monitoring equipment
– Appropriate clinical care
– HbA1c testing
– Diabetes education
– Diabetic Ketoacidosis Awareness Campaign
– Age-appropriate diabetes education materials
– Health professional training and resources
– Technical support for health professionals
– Mentoring
– Research
Some centres need support for all these areas; others need support for only some
components.
Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
LFAC has been supporting children and young people with diabetes through Professor Nihal Thomas and Dr Asha Hesarghatta at the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism,Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore since 2009.
The CMC is a 116 year old tertiary care institution that see 8,000 outpatients (2 million) per annum and contributes 30% of its income towards free and charitable work. It does quality research and educational training and the endocrinology department was rated to have the Diabetology team of the year in 2015 from 8 countries across South Asia. The CMC has been rated amongst the top two medical colleges in India on a consistent basis since the year 2000.
The unit provides an excellent service with highly skilled doctors who are experts in childhood diabetes management. However, support is still needed for poorer children.
Currently the program supports 243 children up to the age of 26 years with blood glucose meters and test strips, education materials.
In 2015 LFAC sponsored Dr. Asha Hesarghatta to attend the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) and the Australasian Pediatric Endocrine Group(APEG)Conference held in Brisbane.
For more information on the LFAC Program please go to this link: www.lifeforachild.org
Dr Graham Ogle, General Manager
Angie Middlehurst, Education Manager
IDF Life for a Child Program, Sydney, Australia