An Audit of Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs in South Africa.

Dube, Loveness [UCL] Van den Broucke, Stephan [UCL] D'Hoore, William [UCL] Kalweit, Kerry Housiaux, Marie [UCL]

Diabetes significantly contributes to the global burden of disease. This burden is especially felt in developing countries, where resources are limited and the health system simultaneously has to deal with communicable and non-communicable diseases. While there is a growing body of literature on the development and implementation of diabetes self-management education, nearly all programs originate from developed countries. Very little is known about the current state of diabetes self-management education in developing countries. By focusing on diabetes self-management education in Southern Africa, the current paper provides policy makers and decision makers in South Africa with information that will help decide on where and how to intervene with regard to diabetes self-management education. The paper also has relevance for decision makers from other developing countries by providing recommendations on diabetes policies and diabetes selfmanagement education.