According to the International Diabetes Federation, there were nearly 73 million cases of diabetes in India in 2017.

But the geographical distance to Primary Health Centres (PHCs), the first level of contact for diabetes management, the uncertain availability of doctors and costs in terms of wage loss are some of the factors that play a role in deterring people from seeking care.

However, a new pilot aims to address the issue of health inequality by ensuring that care is provided directly in the communities, in a programme run by a medical research unit created in Australia - The George Institute for Global Health.

The most recent issue of the HIMSS Insights eBook looked at the work of Global Innovators in health and care, including the IMPACT (Innovation M-health led Participatory Approach to Comprehensive Screening and Treatment of Diabetes) programme.

The scheme provides community-based female health activists, which deliver diabetes care, with a kit that includes smartphones, blood pressure monitoring devices, weighing machines and other monitoring equipment.

The full article on the project can be found here.

Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.