Diabetes in an emergency context: the Malian case study.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Health Systems Strengthening
• Non-Communicable Diseases

Background:

• Mali's health system, assessed in 2004, presented numerous challenges for diabetes care.
• The World Health Organization's 6 building blocks of health systems are susceptible to various contextual challenges.
• Santé Diabète, a local NGO, initiated projects to improve diabetes care following the 2004 assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe Santé Diabète's humanitarian response to diabetes care challenges in Mali following the 2012 coup.
• To highlight the utility of diabetes as a tracer for health system resilience in emergency contexts.
• To share lessons learned for managing non-communicable diseases in humanitarian crises.

Main Methods:

• Documenting Santé Diabète's interventions during the 2012 crisis in Mali.
• Providing medical supplies and evacuation for children with Type 1 diabetes.
• Offering support to displaced populations with diabetes.

Main Results:

• Santé Diabète transitioned from a development NGO to an emergency response organization.
• The NGO facilitated the evacuation of children with Type 1 diabetes and ensured medicine supply.
• The experience demonstrated the need to recognize people with diabetes as a vulnerable group in complex emergencies.

Conclusions:

• Diabetes can serve as an effective tracer for evaluating health system performance during emergencies.
• Tailored interventions are crucial for diverse "diabetes populations" within complex emergencies.
• Lessons from Mali offer valuable insights for NGOs and humanitarian efforts in managing NCDs in crisis-affected regions with weak health systems.