Santé Diabète in action
To develop strong public policies and to sustainably strengthen health systems, we work with all of our partners for better prevention and quality management of diabetes.
This innovative global approach is translated in practice by the implementation of 6 components: prevention, access to care, therapeutic education, access to treatment, strengthening of the role of civil society organizations, and implementation of actions in research.
Our areas of expertise
PRIMARY PREVENTION
Urbanization, change in eating habits, decrease in physical activity…. Overweight and obesity are realities in Africa (15% of women of childbearing age are obese). Raising awareness and encouraging changes in behavior to limit the occurrence of diabetes risk factors is at the heart of our mission.
STRENGTHENING THE CARE OFFER
To be effective, quality management of diabetes and of its complications requires an efficient and decentralized health system. We train quality health professionals in sufficient numbers and we help strengthen technical platforms so that people with diabetes can live with their disease wherever they are across our countries of operation.
Therapeutic education
The chronic nature of diabetes requires patients to take responsibility for their own health in order to best manage diabetes and avoid its associated complications. We train healthcare workers in "therapeutic education" so that everyone can be as empowered as possible to manage their lives with diabetes.
SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES
In order to integrate the prevention and management of diabetes into a sustainable framework, we work in close relationship with public institutions to facilitate its inclusion in national health policies (NCDs, nutrition, maternal and child health, etc.).
ACCESS TO MEDICINES
Les prix souvent prohibitifs et la faible disponibilité des molécules constituent un enjeu majeur en Afrique. En lien avec les Ministères de la santé et les pharmacies centrales, nous œuvrons pour faciliter l’accès aux traitements des patients.
DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITY GRADUATE TRAINING
Quality initial training and regular continuing education for health professionals are critical to strengthening health systems.
STRENGTHENING CIVIL SOCIETY
The associations of patients and healthcare professionals represent a real local lever in the construction of healthcare and to fight against diabetes in a way adapted to the needs of patients and to national requirements. We are working on their structuring, helping them to develop their mobilization, communication and advocacy capacities in order for them to play a central role in the response to diabetes.
Research
Through our field activities, we are provided with a large amount of reliable data, useful for a better understanding of the management of diabetes in limited resources settings, and necessary for the capitalization of pilot projects on diabetes in Africa. In order to use them in the best possible way, we produce numerous research projects in collaboration with health structures and professionals, universities and international research centers.
ADVOCACY
Despite diabetes' burden on health systems and on communities, the disease is hardly taken into account in international development policies, or in the financing strategies of the main donors of international aid. We contribute to the awareness among these stakeholders, through strong advocacy actions and by actively participating in the WHO global coordination mechanism for non-communicable diseases.
DIABETES HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Equality and solidarity in the face of illness are vital. Whether it is helping populations of northern Mali in 2012 or more permanently supporting children with diabetes who do not have access to care or insulin, we are working to improve people's health regardless of life circumstances.
EDUCATION TO CITIZENSHIP & TO INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
The causes of diabetes explosion in Africa are quite similar to those encountered in Europe: increased life expectancy, sedentary lifestyle, nutritional transition and very rapid progression of overweight and obesity. Through the issue of diabetes, we are developing activities to make the general French public aware of the dynamics, including sanitary one, undergoing on the African continent.
 Mali |  Burkina Faso |  Union of the Comoros |  France | International | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary prevention | |||||
| STRENGTHENING THE CARE OFFER | |||||
| Diabetes humanitarian response | |||||
| Therapeutic education | |||||
| Access to medication | |||||
| Strengthening of civil society | |||||
 Support for public health policies | |||||
| Education for citizenship and international solidarity | |||||
| Development of university diploma courses | |||||
| ADVOCACY | |||||
| Research |
Our action partners
WE ACT IN THE COUNTRIES WHERE WE WORK WITH ALL LOCAL PARTNERS:
- Ministries of Health
- Ministries of Higher Education and Research
- Ministries of Education
- Directorates General of Health - Section of noncommunicable diseases
- Regional health directorates (e.g. regional health directorate in the district of Bamako)
- Structures in charge of drug management (e.g. the People's Pharmacy of Mali and the Pharmacy and Medicine Directorate of Mali)
- National hospitals
- Regional hospitals
- Secondary health centers
- Primary health centers
- Faculties of Medicine
- Learned societies
- Associations of people with diabetes
- Associations de professionnels de santé
- National NGOs
English (UK) 
Français