The Ministry of Health is pushing for a paradigm shift in diabetes-care management through an emphasis on self-monitoring by persons with the disease.

The Regional Diabetes Care Project is being conducted against the backdrop of Pan American Health Organisation's Regional Strategic Plan for Non-communicable Diseases and the Caribbean's commitment to the Port-of-Spain Declaration to halt the epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases.

Dr Tamu Davidson Sadler, medical epidemiologist in the Chronic Diseases and Injuries Unit of the Ministry of Health, said the growing prevalence of diabetes in Jamaica indicates a need for increased patient awareness and a focus on coping measures.

"Diabetes is a very debilitating disease which, if not properly controlled, can lead to blindness, renal failure, lower limb amputation and heart disease.

"Increased awareness on the part of patients will help them to better manage and understand the complications associated with their conditions," Davidson Sadler said.

The education component of the project also urges diabetics to observe proper nutrition and increased physical activity on care outcomes.

"There is a body of evidence that shows increased physical activity complemented by proper nutrition will help diabetics stave off diabetes-related complications and improve overall health," Davidson Sadler said.

'Diabetes is a very debilitating disease which, if not properly controlled, can lead to blindness, renal failure, lower limb amputation and heart disease.'