The first Diabetes Alliance Board meeting was held via Zoom call on Thursday 13th November 2019. Here are the highlights from the meeting.
Diabetes Alliance Board
The Board consists of the following volunteer members:
- Michael Brown, CDE
- Stephen Cook, OSSA
- Belinda Lister, Roche
- Patrick Ngassa Piotie, Tshwane Insulin Project
- Frederick Marais, WoW, Western Cape DoH
- Nombulelo Qabaka, DESSA
- Trevor McCoy, Sanofi
- Bridget McNulty, Sweet Life
Formal structure of the Diabetes Alliance
What formal structure should the Diabetes Alliance be?
An NPO: NCD Alliance is international and an NGO, so the South African version would be an NPO (non-profit organisation). There are 3 options for NPOs: voluntary association, non-profit company or trust. Diabetes Alliance would be a voluntary association.
We will ask DDG Yogan Pillay about the special projects fund of the sugar tax and if the Diabetes Alliance can apply for funding from it.
Criteria for membership to the Diabetes Alliance
Criteria thus far have been any association, organisation or company working with diabetes in South Africa. Agreed on that as long as a company is contributing to diabetes in South Africa in some way, they can be part of the Alliance. The Board can address this as necessary.
2020 goals
Diabetes educational materials developed in alignment with National Department of Health (NDoH). Sweet Life to work on a pilot project in Western Cape in alignment with Patrick / TIP in Gauteng.
Meter and strips available in public clinics to all people with diabetes.
Start planning earlier for World Diabetes Day with the NDoH – involve parliament at the higher level and the linkage to care project started this year.
Start a Diabetes Registry in public clinics: at the moment when you get to a facility nobody can tell you how many diabetics there are, and if they’re controlled or uncontrolled. It’s also all paper based.
Method of interaction with the NDoH
- Ask the Diabetes Alliance what they would like. Suggest the board being primary communication with NDoH, with monthly written updates on Diabetes Alliance website (www.diabetesalliance.org.za/updates).
- Want to keep momentum going with the NDoH: show a pipeline of projects.
- Quarterly newsletter sent out with a group of topics we’re working on and what we want to highlight.
- Dates in diaries for quarterly meetings in early Jan 2020.