The Ministry of Health and Lilly join hands for better diabetes management

The partnership, centred on education and disease burden research, will provide decision makers and healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tools to improve the lives of diabetes patients and advance the level of care.

The partnership will run over three years. The Diabetes Conversation Maps, an education tool developed by Healthy Interactions in collaboration with the International Diabetes Federation and sponsored globally by Lilly will be used across the Sultanate to drive better education among patients and caregivers.

On the health outcomes front, Lilly will collaborate with the Ministry of Health to share its expertise in health outcomes analysis and assist the MOH to evaluate the total costs of diabetes and its complications with the aim of driving a research-based policy decision making in the future. The is in line with the MOH's long term vision for 2050 to improve the quality of diabetes care of Omanis and other residents of the Sultanate.

"The International Diabetes Federation estimates diabetes prevalence in Oman will more than double by 2030, which is currently estimated 171,625 persons. It is clear that the burden of diabetes is so great that all key sectors of public health - governments, NGOs, international bodies, and the private sector - should join efforts and work together to fight the disease expansion and find meaningful solutions," said Dr. Darwish bin Saif AlMaharbi, Undersecretary of Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Health. "Our partnership with Lilly helps train diabetes nurse educators to have the know-how to help patients and pass on that information through training to other healthcare professionals here in Oman."

The Ministry of Health will oversee the selection of the candidates for the different education programs and trainings offered in this partnership through the National Diabetes Management Service Development Committee, chaired by Dr. Noor Al Busaidi.

Elaborating on the collaboration with Lilly, she said: "Diabetes is one of the most frustrating diseases to have due to its chronicity and complexity. No one alone can fight diabetes, and that is why we need the support from the patients and their families, the communities and the governmental and the non-government institutions to better understand it and control its progression. Lilly is a pioneer company to initiate a cooperation and partnership with us in diabetes and is helping us in advancing the nurses' and doctors' education and to implement a cost analysis study for diabetes. Lilly has also been cooperating with us for a long time especially in providing educational materials to empower the patients and their families with knowledge to help them take the right decisions". She concluded by stressing that the national diabetes management service development committee is looking forward to this journey of cooperation and hope that it will renew itself in different shapes and dimensions."

Addressing the audience, Huzur Devletsah, general manager of Lilly for the Gulf region said: "We thank the Ministry of Health through the support of HE Dr Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al-Saidi Minister of Health and HE Dr. Darwish bin Saif Al Maharbi and the National Diabetes Management Service Development Committee headed by Dr. Noor Al Busaidi for giving Lilly the opportunity to work with the MOH for the common objective of advancing the level of care and education for the diabetes community in Oman. Through our partnerships with the healthcare authorities in Oman and throughout the region, Lilly focuses on patients and their needs to improve their health and manage their diseases. We believe an informed patient is a better participant in his or her own care than a patient with access to less information."

"Diabetes is an area of therapeutic focus for Lilly. The Diabetes Conversation Maps program is making a difference for doctors and patients across the world. We hope that its implementation in Oman, with the support of the Diabetes Management Service Development Committee, will be of great value," Huzur Devletsah concluded.

Lilly will train nurses and healthcare professionals on the facilitation of Diabetes Conversation Maps sessions. Participants who successfully complete the training will receive a certificate signed by the Ministry of Health, Lilly and the Oman Diabetes Association.

The partnership include also CME accredited courses targeting doctors and provided by leading international medical associations to physicians selected the Ministry of Health.