Lifestyle Doctors For Diabetes Prevention In Papua New Guinea - Research Protocol Design

Introduction

Non-communicable diseases pose a huge threat to the world population today. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) (2018a) estimates, 71% of all deaths across the world are a result of the non-communicable diseases like cancer, coronary disorders, diabetes, and respiratory ailments. Between ages 39-60 years, about 15 million people die due to non-communicable diseases every year and most (about 85%) of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries (WHO, 2018a). Such alarming statistics have made it imperative that we curb such high mortality rates in the coming years. WHO has resolved to reduce non-communicable disease-related deaths by 25% by 2025 (WHO, 2013). 

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are basically chronic diseases that remain for long and these generally occur due to genetic, environmental, physiological and behavioural factors (WHO, 2018a). This research design document focuses on diabetes as one significant NCD that has a very high prevalence in low and middle-income countries. According to WHO (2018b), about 1.6 million deaths directly occurred from diabetes in 2016, making it the 7th leading cause of death in that year. Therefore, diabetes control is of paramount importance today to ensure a healthier future generation. It is also true that diabetes risk is easy to control with certain lifestyle changes like healthy eating, regular exercise, smoking reduction, etc. (Better Health Channel, n.d.). 

This research proposes a lifestyle doctor for every neighbourhood in low and middle income group countries who would act as ready guides and monitoring agents to prevent and cure diabetes in 39-60 year olds. They will be government-sponsored health promoters appointed in every locality to screen diabetes patients in the area, guide potential cases to healthier regimes and channelize patients to advanced health facilities depending on the severity of their diabetic status. Appointing lifestyle doctors is expected to bring out positive health outcomes and decrease high mortality rates due to diabetes. 

As a basis for this proposal, a study will be conducted on a sample population in Papua New Guinea. We call it the Lifestyle Doctors for Diabetes Prevention and Cure (LDDPC) program. 

Aims and Objectives

Sarwar, et. al. (2010) found that the global prevalence of diabetes in 18+ year old individuals has increased from 4.7% to 8.5% between 1980 and 2014. This increase has serious socio-economic consequences as affected individuals become less active, less capable to work and thus driven towards poverty (WHO, 2018a). Diabetes can cause blindness, kidney problems, stroke, coronary issues and it can even weaken lower limbs so much that they require amputation (WHO, 2018b). Such consequences can decrease the overall quality of life in any society and thus leads to socio-economic damage. According to WHO (2018a), NCDs like diabetes are impediments towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This agenda aims to reduce NCD-induced premature deaths by one-third by 2030.