Islands Business - Pacific diabetes summit gathers ‘workable practices’

SAIPAN, CNMI ---- Commonwealth of Northern Marianas ( CNMI) Public health secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez says the four-day Summit on Diabetes this week continues to collect “more workable practices” on the prevention and control of diabetes, Marianas Variety reports .

Mr Viillagomez said the islands have come together to “lay a strong foundation” for diabetes programs that can be emulated and tailored to their respective jurisdictions.

The summit participants are health advocates from Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, American Samoa, the Marshall Islands, Palau and the CNMI.

Mr Villagomez said after identifying “best practices,” the Pacific islands may then address the funding issue to sustain their programmes.

In the CNMI, he said the Commonwealth Health Center’s Diabetes Prevention Programme offers various activities to the people.

“We have the Walk on Wednesday event, the foot clinic and aqua aerobics that attract many community members,” Mr Villagomez said.

Dr. Stevenson Kuartei, Palau’s public health director, said it was important to define the priorities and strengths of each Pacific jurisdiction “because we sometimes do not clearly identify our priorities and we negotiate without really clear understanding of what we need to ask for.”

Dr Kuartei said the summit plays a vital role in looking at the “local situation” so that priorities can be defined. “Health services should restore the community’s health,” he said.

In Palau, Kuartei said, they monitor the indicators of diabetes such as the individual’s lifestyle to prevent and control the disease.

“We find out how many people are smoking, chewing betel nut, chewing tobacco, and using alcohol. And how many are actively participating in physical activities and are eating vegetables,” he said.

Dr Kuartei and Dr Viliami Puloka of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) discussed “research, risk, response and redirection of efforts in the trans-disciplinary approaches to diabetes prevention and control.”