DIABETES NEWS
SA JOURNAL OF DIABETES & VASCULAR DISEASE
82
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2 • JUNE 2010
Diabetes Care Products
Trimega capsules contain the omega-3 essential
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and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), formulated in
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In view of the latest overwhelming evidence
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Trimega provides essential fatty acids
Diabetes News
Local diabetes research project selected for international funding
Stellenbosch University’s research project in the
Western Cape has been awarded a substantial
international grant to benefit local diabetes
patients.
1
This grant forms part of a long-term
funding relationship to identify, test and pub-
lish practical solutions to improve outcomes for
people with diabetes throughout the world.
2
BRIDGES (Bringing Research in Diabetes
to Global Environments and Systems) is a
programme initiated by the International Dia-
betes Federation (IDF) and supported by an
educational grant from a leading pharmaceu-
tical company, Lilly.
3
This seven-year project,
launched at the end of 2006, sees $10 million
being contributed internationally into research
to find practical diabetes-care strategies and
solutions for people living with diabetes.
4
The BRIDGES project seeks proposals from
research bodies globally, which support cost-
effective and sustainable interventions that can
be adopted in real-world settings, ultimately
for the prevention and control of diabetes.
3
The first South African research project to be
awarded funds from BRIDGES was announced
by the IDF earlier this month, and is one of
only nine projects selected globally during this
round of proposals. Stellenbosch University,
in association with the Sub-Saharan African
Centre for Chronic Diseases and the Western
Cape Department of Health, has been awarded
$65 000 towards a two-year community-based
researchproject tobe conducted inCape Town.
1
The Western Cape has a large number of
diabetic patients and this number is expected
to increase substantially over the next few
years. Most of these patients are cared for by
nurses within the public sector, with education
about their disease often being supplied in a
makeshift and unpredictable manner.
1
Diabetes and its related complications have
grown exponentially over the last few years.
The increasing number of patients diagnosed
with diabetes each year results in increased
costs being placed on health services to care for
patients. Diabetes is an expensive and complex
disease and ideally requires ongoing educa-
tion and management on the part of both the
healthcare practitioner and the patient. Fur-
thermore, diabetes greatly affects a patient’s
quality of life as it poses many lifestyle demands
and debilitating complications, which can
sometimes be difficult for patients to live with.
5
Titled ‘Effectiveness of a group diabetic
education programme using motivational
interviewing in underserved communities in
South Africa’, this project will take the form
of a randomised control trial, evaluating ways
to improve the lives of thousands of diabetes
patients whose quality of care and health edu-
cation to date has generally been very poor.
1
This research project, headed by princi-
pal investigator Robert Mash, will evaluate
the merits of structured group-educational
programmes supported by appropriate edu-
cational materials and delivered by health pro-
moters who have been specifically trained in
better communication, installing in patients a
degree of motivation, leading to increased self
management of their disease.
1
Through BRIDGES, researchers in various
cultural settings globally can share insights and
advice from their individual projects, leading to
findings that can be used in different settings.
‘We at Lilly are proud to partner with the
IDF and enable the translation of findings
learnt in clinical settings to those who can ben-
efit most, those people living with diabetes.
Ground-breaking ideas are urgently needed to
help people with diabetes achieve better out-
comes and live a healthier and more fulfilling
life. While Lilly continually remains commit-
ted to medical research into this disease, we
realise that success in the management and
education of diabetes will not come through
our research alone. We congratulate Stellen-
bosch University and look forward to their
shared findings in this vital exploration of how
to improve diabetes education and manage-
ment,’ said Jacques Blaauw, managing director
of Lilly
6
South Africa.
This research proposal, along with all other
submissions, was peer reviewed and prioritised
by a multi-disciplinary review committee, man-
aged by the IDF.
7
Bringing Research in Diabetes to Global Environments
1.
and Systems. International Diabetes Foundation. 2007
). Web-
site accessed on 23 February 2010.
IDF and Eli Lilly and company partner to uncover
2.
practical solutions for better diabetes outcomes.
Press release 5 December 2006.
/
node/1351?unode=1D292091-67DA-48BB-81B0-
73112469D36E).Websiteaccessedon23February2010.
Welcome to BRIDGES
3.
).
Website accessed on 23 February 2010.
BRIDGES IDF grant research programme fact sheet
4.
Sheet.doc). Website accessed on 23 February 2010.
Katzenellenbogen L, Blaauw R, Steyn N. Assess-
5.
ment of the perceived impact of diabetes on quality
of life in a group of South African diabetic patients.
December 2008
/
10019/1947/3/Katzenellenbogen%2c%20L.pdf).
Website accessed on 23 February 2010.
About Lilly
6.
/
about-lilly.jsp). Website accessed on 23 February 2010.
BRIDGES IDF grant research programme timeline of
7.
key dates (
of%20Grant%20Program.doc). Website accessed on
23 February 2010.
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