The International Diabetes Federation North America and Caribbean Region (IDF NAC) on Monday launched a regional action plan calling for better access to the treatment and care needed by people with diabetes, and improved education and awareness within local communities.

The action plan incorporates the IDF NAC Patient Charter which, for the first time in the Caribbean, sets out the rights of people living with type-2 diabetes to obtain optimal standards of care.

According to new data released by IDF on Monday, diabetes affects 1.1 million people in the Caribbean and up to 20 per cent of the adult population in some countries. The North America and Caribbean region has the highest comparative prevalence of diabetes among the seven IDF regions.

The IDF NAC action plan identifies five key elements to help enable regional implementation of the UN Resolution for Diabetes; collaboration with governments on key diabetes issues, improved treatment and care of diabetes including use of evidence-based standards and access to medications, prevention through awareness and education in local communities, optimising professional education and communication increased coordination of diabetes associations.

Particularly suffered

Lurline Less, chair of IDF NAC and executive chairman of the Diabetes Association of Jamaica, said: "Factors including inequalities in wealth, geographic isolation and burden on health care resources mean that the Caribbean has particularly suffered from the impact of diabetes."

Less added: "The plan we have agreed creates a template that countries can follow to enhance diabetes care in the region, raising the profile of diabetes on the health care agenda and sharing best practice."

The launch of the regional action plan follows a meeting of IDF NAC member associations in Jamaica, to discuss implementation of the UN Resolution on Diabetes 61/225. The Resolution has helped to lay the foundations to develop national policies on the treatment and care of diabetes.

The full IDF North America and Caribbean Region action plan is available at: www.idf.org.