2011年エクアドルのFUVIDA糖尿病サマーキャンプの報告(2)

In my opinion the most significant and the most important benefit of these camps run by FUVIDA and Insulin for Life is the education of the Monitors.
There were 24 Monitors at this camp, 10 of the monitors were trained experienced diabetes educators, and professionals.
The other 14 were medical students, trainee doctors, nurses, and health educators from the Guayaquil Medical University Institute, these trainees had had no previous experience in diabetes education and were doing their medical training at the Institute.
Aracely the convenor of this camp and a trained Pharmacist herself, approached the Chancellor of the Institute inviting any student interested in learning about diabetes, to undergo an intense training program in diabetes to experience the camp, and he agreed to allow 14 interested students to attend.
Before the camp, Aracely ran a number of diabetes workshops to prepare the students for the camp. All this was made possible because of the funding from ROCHE. At the finish of the camp l spoke with the University students and encouraged them to steer their careers toward the study of diabetes as they are the future of diabetes treatment and education in Ecuador.
Aracely told me that at the end of these 2 camps 10 of the final year medical students were thankful for what they had learned about diabetes, 4 have decided to continue their studies in Endocrinology.
5 of the 10 nurses are also interested in continuing their education in diabetes.
She said the contributions made at the camps, is invaluable for her country.
There are only 50 trained endocrinologists at the national level, out of population of 14 million inhabitants, and with an illness as debilitating, disastrous as diabetes, mortality is very high.

Diabetes is the number one cause of preventable death in Ecuador, and there is no National Government funded diabetes Educational system in that country.
Hundreds are dying because doctors, nurses, health professionals, and patients, have no expert knowledge or training in regard to this problem of diabetes.
The only diabetes education Ecuador is getting is from individuals such as Aracely who have made it their ambition to learn as much as they can about diabetes.
She has had assistance using the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) Education DVD’s which have been produced in Spanish, training programs set up by ISPAD (International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes) and from NGO's such Insulin for Life, the IDF Life for a Child program, funding groups such as the IDAF of Japan, and ROCHE to save as many lives as possible in her country.

Approaches have been made to the government to rectify the matter of diabetes education.
In April 2011 l wrote a letter to the President of Ecuador his Excellency Mr Rafael Correa requesting an appointment to discuss this an another matter, he responded by passing the matter to the Health Minister Dr David Chiriboga who was to contact me.
While in Ecuador at the time of the camp approaches where made to try and have a meeting with the health ministry.
Then on my last day the 4th August it seemed that the Vice president would meet Aracley, and me, but at the last moment nothing came of it, and l had to return to Australia the next day.

People like Aracely and others in Ecuador have struggled for years to raise the awareness of diabetes in Ecuador, hopefully in the future, funding for education, treatment of diabetes and the training of health professionals will come from government resources, but until then support will be needed from organisations such as the IDF, Insulin for Life, IDF Life for a Child progam, the IDAF of Japan, the ROCHE funding, and the blessing of God.

A big thank you to Aracely and her team, Ingrid, Veronica, Margie from FUVIDA, a big thank you to Manny Hernandez Diabetes Hands Foundation, and to ROCHE, for the funding of this educational diabetes camp, for helping to save the lives of these children, and the education of the monitors. A big thank you, to the IDAF (International Diabetes Aid Fund) of Japan. Kazuko Kusano who travelled from Japan and pledged funding support, a big thank you for the Canadian documentary makers Dan, Katia, and Anthony Shannon, a big thank you to Priscilla Schell, and grandson Matthew Bozone the Americans, a big thank you to Insulin for Life Australia for allowing me again to be part of the experience in saving lives around the world, and to Fran Kaufman, for recommending, IFL to ROCHE, to John and Marcia Kostelyk from Insulin for Life Canada, who assisted in the first camp, and a big thank you to all those in the past who have given up their time, money, and energy to support diabetes and save lives in Ecuador.