Medical Cooperation Program in the Pacific Allies and Friendly Countries─Nauru
2013-2021
Nauru is the smallest island in South Pacific Ocean with a population of around 10,000. Due to the lack of proper nutrition in diets, obesity and non-communicable diseases are major issues for the locals. The medical cooperation program was officially launched by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2014 for the purpose of improving the medical healthcare in Nauru. Since then, Taipei Veterans General Hospital (VGH) along with Taichung VGH and Kaosiung VGH have been making an all-out effort to provide medical assistance for supporting the program.
Aiming to assist local people in tackling non-communicable diseases, Veterans General Hospitals send long-term stationing doctors to Nauru every year. Each doctor spends 3 months at the Naoero Public Health Centre, providing outpatient service, home visits and other medical services. At the same time, the doctors also share their knowledge and experience by giving lectures to local medical staff as well as instructing them throughout the process of offering medical services.
Taipei Veterans General Hospital has dispatched more than 10 specialists to Nauru since 2013:
Dr. Li-Hsin Chang, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Dr. Yao-Ting Chang, Division of Cardiology
Dr. Tjin-Shin Jap, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Dr. Bing-Chiang Liang, Emergency Department
Dr. Chun-Jui Huang, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Dr. Kuo-Hua Lee, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine
Dr. Ching-Fai Kwok, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Dr. Wei-En Wang, Department of Family Medicine
Dr. Hsing-Yu Liu, Department of Family Medicine
Dr. Hui-Chun Li, Depar tment of Family Medicine
Dr. Po-Yu Chen, Department of Family Medici ne
Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Kidney Disease in St. Kitts and Nevis
2017-2020
St. Kitts and Nevis is located in the Caribbean with a population of more than 56,000. The average life expectance is 75.6 years and chronic diseases are the main cause of death. Although tenth of the population in St. Kitts and Nevis are at high risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), there are only about 100 confirmed diagnoses. In addition, there’s a lack of professional medical personnel in the country. With the cost of dialysis becoming a burden, it’s necessary to reduce the incidence of kidney disease and progression to dialysis.
Therefore, Taipei Veterans General Hospital has cooperated with Taiwan ICDF and the Ministry of Health of St. Kitts and Nevis to implement the Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Kidney Disease in 2017.
The objectives and performance of this project are:
1.Assist in planning effective integrated care strategies and practices on the prevention and control of chronic kidney disease:
(1) Invited two senior health officials from the Ministry of Health in Nevis Island to visit Taiwan to understand Taiwan’s policy and integrated care and health education programs related to the prevention and control of chronic kidney disease.
(2) Developed “NCDs information platform and case management system” for SKN, and installed into 17 primary clinics in the St. Kitts and Nevis Island. Collected patients’ information of 3,739 CKD from 17 primary clinics and completed an epidemiology report.
(3) Hosted an international chronic disease prevention and control forum.
2.Strengthen the function of nephrology in the medical care system:
(1) Installed 3 hemodialysis machines in JNF hospital in San Kitts Island.
(2) Collaborated with Taipei Veterans General Hospital to provided training courses on CKD prevention and control to 10 health personnel from SKN.
(3) Cooperated with seed instructors to conduct 6 local workshops on CKD patients care and treatment, and provided the training to 253 health personnel.
(4) Consultants from Taipei Veterans General Hospital have been dispatched and completed seed instructor supervision.
3.Improve community’s self-management ability for prevention and control of chronic kidney disease
(1) Provided training courses on health promotion and nutrition to 5 health personnel from SKN.
(2) Cooperated with seed instructors to conduct 4 local health promotion training courses on the prevention and control of CKD, and provided the training to 228 health personnel.
(3) Integrated the local resources and held 64 health promotion activities in primary health facilities, communities and schools, and provided health education on CKD prevention and control to more than 2,000 people.
(4) Held education events with the Kidney Disease Association in the World Kidney Day, include in local radio broadcasts interviewed, urine screening and education, and women chronic kidney disease lectures.
(5) Delivered more than 20,000 pieces of the health education pamphlets through local health facilities and health promotion.
Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Metabolic Chronic Diseases in St. Kitts and Nevis
2020-2024
The project will be conducted based on the results of the last project, the Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Kidney Disease, and integrate with The Chronic Care Model recommended by WHO and Taiwan’s profound experiences in preventing metabolic diseases. This project will strengthen the metabolic disease care system through assisting medical facilities and personnel in building up early screening capabilities, case management, and shared care between doctors, nurses, and dietitians. Therefore, the project is expected to strengthen their prevention and control system for chronic diseases caused by metabolic syndrome. Overall, this project will:
(1)Assist in planning effective integrated care strategies and practices on prevention and control of metabolic chronic diseases.
(2)Strengthen the care capacity for metabolic chronic diseases at medical institutions.
(3)Enhance the self-management ability of community residents for metabolic syndrome.
Current Progress:
To the end of March 2021, the following activities have been carried out:
1. The project officially commenced right after the signatory of the implementation agreement on July 7, 2020.
2. Due to the pandemic of COVID-19, the “Multidisciplinary care of metabolic chronic diseases” training program in Taiwan for those health personnel in St. Kitts and Nevis was switched to online training program.
3. To enhance the self-management ability of community residents for metabolic syndrome, we’ve conducted following activities:
(1) On World Kidney Day, a kidney disease prevention and control health education event was held in a high school; and a kidney disease prevention and nutrition workshop was held in Joseph N. France Hospital.
(2) Co-produced "Sports Promotion (5 episodes)", "Healthy Diet (4 episodes)" and "Salt Reduction (11 episodes)" with the Ministry of Health of St. Kitts and Nevis. Aforementioned episodes were broadcasted on the National Cable TV Channel, the Facebook and YouTube channels of the Health Promotion Unit (HPU) under the Ministry of Health.
(3) Assisting the Taiwanese diabetes educator and the Ministry of Health in filming the “In Ya Kitchen” cooking program. By using local ingredients to deliver the message of healthy cooking and disease prevention, promoting the prevention and control of metabolic chronic diseases.
(4) Health education and screening activities have been held in communities, schools, public and private institutions. 20 sessions have been held and 806 people have been screened.
