The Western Pacific Declaration on Diabetes

Plan of Action (2006-2010)

Goals
In line with the resolutions and mandates of the governing bodies of the three partner agencies, WPDD follows the roadmap laid down by the Plan of Action (2000-2005)

To lobby support from governments to create environments conducive to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and reduce obesity,

To educate communities on risk factors for diabetes and obesity and

To reform health care systems to make patient-orientated and

Target audience

people with diabetes and their loved ones,
governments and policy-makers,
parents and school teachers,
all members of communities,
employers, and
strategic partners.

Strategies

To raise awareness in all sectors of the community regarding the magnitude of diabetes as a public health problem and its highly preventable nature.

To facilitate local champions and catalyze various efforts to formulate area-relevant strategies by changing policies and practices to prevent diabetes and its associated complications.

Anticipated outcomes
By 2010, it is envisaged that countries in the Western Pacific Region will have developed:

health care systems that:

provide screening and prevention programmes to subjects at risk for diabetes;
provide accessible, affordable and patient-orientated care to people with diabetes;
empower people with diabetes to take responsibility for their condition;

demonstration projects to create work and leisure environments conducive to healthy lifestyle through intersectoral collaboration that includes employers;

childhood/adolescent obesity prevention programmes through legislation and effective school policies; and

national diabetes surveillance, prevention and clinical care programmes.

Mission
The purpose of the Declaration and Plan of Action is to assist people with or at risk of diabetes to lead full productive lives and to approximate the health outcomes and life expectation of people who do not have diabetes and are not at risk of diabetes.

Its mission is - better health otucomes through better care and healthier environments for people with or at risk of diabetes.

Vision
These statements outline an ideal environment for reducing the public and personal burden of diabetes and urges all concerned to work towards a Region where -

government, nongovernmental organizations, health professionals, the media and communities are aware of diabetes as a major public and personal health threat and work together to address the problem;
diabetes has priority status on the national health agenda of all relevant countries in the Region and this is reflected in national action plans designed to address locally prioritized prevention and care issues;
policy, planning and services are based on representative information obtained from systematic monitoring of the incidence and prevalence, cost and clinical outcomes of diabetes prevention and care;
strong partnerships and strategic alliances within and between goverments and NGOs, professional and consumer organizations, industry and business underpin comprehensive and consistent approaches to health and related social policy and programs;
integrated primary and specialist services, and links between chronic disease programs promote optimal clinical effectiveness and efficiency to provide the people of the Region with truly seamless diabetes and related prevention and care;
people with diabetes have access to clinical care, diabetes education and health care supplies appropriate to their age, type and stage of diabetes, and individual needs as a child or adult, regardless of their geographical, cultural or socio-economic status;
the development of diabetes is delayed, where possible, through community health education and environments where healthy lifestyle choices are a realistic option;
new research aimed at addressing currently unresolved diabetes prevention and care problems is encouraged and the results of existing evidence for prevention and care is applied to routine practice.