The Central America Diabetes Initiative (CAMDI):

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua

Survey of Diabetes, Hypertension and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Villa Nueva, Guatemala 2007

Collaborative Project Learning Sessions
- Nicaragua, 2007

Preliminary Results, Guatemala
(3 pp, PDF, 141 KB)

CAMDI Workshops
VIII (11/2006)   |
IV (7/2003)   |   III (8/2002)
II (11/2000)   |   I (3/2000)

Full-text proposal (20 pp)
PDF (651 KB)   |   Word (227 KB)

Other Subregional Initiatives
- Veracruz Initiative for Diabetes Awareness (VIDA Project)
- Institutional Response to Diabetes and Its Complications (IRDC, Caribbean)

Links
- Diabetes Initiative for the Americas (DIA): Action Plan 2001–2006
- PAHO Diabetes Page
- WHO Diabetes Page

The Central America Diabetes Initiative (CAMDI)—now producing results—came about a response to a subregional workshop that took place in San Salvador in March 2000, sponsored by the Diabetes Declaration of the Americas (DOTA) and PAHO. A baseline screening for diabetes will identify people currently suffering from the disease (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) to assess the current level of diabetes care. Furthermore, a demonstration project of a diabetes intervention program is proposed for each participating communities. A multinational expert committee will decide on the specific intervention program to be developed.

Proposed components of the CAMDI initiative are as follows:
   Phase I   |   Phase II   |   Collaborative Project

Phase I

• Identification of target population of people with diabetes.
• Assessment of the quality of diabetes care.
• Improving access to high-quality diabetes care.

Phase II

• Implementation of an integrated one-year-intervention program to include improving the quality of diabetes, care as well as an educational program for medical personnel and people with diabetes.
• Implementation of a diabetes education program aimed at the general population.

Collaborative Project

The Collaborative Project is aimed at those countries or health services that are interested in developing proyects for continuous improvement in quality of care, based on the Breakthrough Series Methodology (BTS) model proposed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This model has already been tried out by hundreds of initiatives in the USA, Canada, and other countries around the world.

The objective of the Collaborative Project is de continually improve the quality of care for people with chronic diseases through a joint effort by health professionals and managers to promote best practices en health facilities and services.

During the approximate time span of a year, managers, health professionals, and persons with chronic diseases will meet in Learning Sessions (a total of three) for the purpose of obtaining training and of planning and evaluating activities. During these Learning Sessions, participants from health facilities/services will work on evaluating their services, evaluate an intervention plan based on the proposed change package, and propose activities to be implemented during the time period of the activity. The commitment of each team is important for the proposed plans in terms of turning them into concrete actions.

• First Learning Session, Nicaragua, 2007

The methodology, which has already been used in various countries, has been able to bring about lasting changes once it generates a change in mentality and a joint effort on each and every health team, with the committment of each professional.

PAHO has had a positive experience in the implementation of this type of project in Mexico and would now like to implement it in other countries.