Plan of Action

The Plan of Action for the Western Pacific Declaration on Diabetes 2000-2005 (POA) outlines the strategic directions according to the intent and spirit of the Declaration to encourage and guide the development, implementation and monitoring of effective, integrated regional, national and local diabetes prevention and care programs in the Region over the next 5 years.

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.