Newspaper Diabetas, issue 29

The newspaper of the Lithuanian Diabetes Association
No 1 (29) February 10, 2001
Eli Lilly - the general sponsor.
The newspaper is supported by: Abbott Medisense, Berlin-Chemie / Menarini Pharma group, representatives of Roche Diagnostics CSC "Eksmos MTC", firm "Korys", Novo Nordisk, Phizer H.C.P. Corporation.

Page 1
Walking and Smiling
Kristina Undzenaite is seventeen. She shares her impressions about living with diabetes. K.Undzenaite fell ill with diabetes when she was seven.

Page 2
Information about LDA and the newspaper is provided.

Page 3
Suggestions on a Strategy of long-term health and life improvement of people with diabetes
     To Minister of Health
     To Chairman of the Committee of Health at the Seimas (Parliament)
     To Chairman of the Committee of Social Security at the Lithuanian Seym
     To Chairman of the Committee of Education at the Lithuanian Seym
     To Minister of Social Security
     To Director of State Cash of Patients
     To Head of the Council for the Affairs of Disabled at the Government of Lithuania
     To Chairman of the National St Vincent Declaration Committee

     LDA comprises about 5 thousands people with diabetes, members of their families and health professionals. LDA protects the rights of people with diabetes and seeks for better life conditions and more rational usage of budget for a control of this illness. We invited different institutions of State authority to organize a meeting for considering urgent questions already several times. The chief of the Committee of Health of Lithuanian Seym (Parliament) offered to organize this meeting in July 2000, in the Ministry of Health. We were happy to be heard and prepared to it carefully. But the Ministry of Health did not take these plans seriously, the date was continuously changing and the plans were not realized until the election of Seym.
     We hope for understanding and want to help you better understand health problems of people with diabetes. So we offer our suggestions.

     LDA suggestions
     According to Europe politics "Health for all in the 21st century", St. Vincent Declaration Action Programme, Strategy of active health care in National health conception, the aims of Lithuanian health programme, LDA suggests to consider these questions with the health care institutions:
     1. In recognition of the growing importance of diabetes to the public health in all countries, the WHO has recently accorded priority status to diabetes. According to WHO the priority status of diabetes should be recognize in Lithuanian system of health care.
     2. To renew the National St.Vincent Declaration's Committee at the Ministry of Health according to EURO DIABCARE recommendations. The members should be delegated from government and other health care institutions and LDA. The committee should have the rights to coordinate the politics of diabetes.
     3. To register the complications of diabetes (blindness, amputations, renal failure) in the National Diabetes Register. It can serve for the evaluation of a situation of diabetes care.
     4. To legalize a united document of diabetes control (passport) according to the St.Vincent Declaration.
     5. To confirm valuations for a nurse-diabetologist and a nurse-specialist of foot care.
     6. To guarantee the work of diabetes centers, diabetes' foot care and diabetes education centers (earler established with help from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk). For this sake to confirm the staff of nurses-diabetologists and nurses-specialists of foot care.
     7. Seeking better self-control of diabetes, to consider such questions of compensation: long-term blood glucose control should be estimated by measurement of glycated haemoglobin (not less 2-4 times a year) and micro-albuminurie according indications (not less once a year); to compensate test strips for blood glucose for children and pregnant women according to need; at least 300 test strips for adults who use insulin; at least 50 strips a year for people with diabetes type 2 those who use tablets or diet. Self-control test strips should be prescribed according to diary with the results of measurements. Glucagon should be compensated for children (2 bottles a year).
     8. Hospitals and outpatient clinics should be interested in acquiring new technology devices for the qualified control of diabetes.
     9. Question of sending people with diabetes for rehabilitation or health restoring cure from outpatient clinics should be under consideration.
     10. Children with diabetes from early age must have support from government without naming them as "invalids from a childhood". With good control of illness we seek that the child would not become an invalid.
     11. People with diabetes must have qualified help from endocrinologists in all districts. Endocrinologist must consult people who use insulin constantly. Endocrinologist must consult people who use diet or tablets at least twice a year.
     12. The information about diabetes and preventions of complications must be more actively spread using health educational centers, National radio, TV, press.
     13. LDA protects the rights of people with diabetes, so it must be able to participate in all institutions, which discuss the questions related to control of diabetes.
     LDA follows the recommendations of IDF and WHO. It seeks to improve the life of people with diabetes. Our suggestions were offered to different institutions of Government and Seym several times. Yet, our problems stay unsolved. We hope that our suggestions will be heard in decision-making.

Page 5
Looking back to the year 2000
by V.Augustiniene
     Activity of the LDA is remembered and generalized. The LDA invites to become the members and thanks for collaboration.
     Many meetings with the representatives of the State authority, people with diabetes, society took place. The seminars, conferences, camps for children and youth, events for World Diabetes Day were organized. Suggestions about the questions related with diabetes were offered.
     A big achievement is that after changing the method of establishing basic medicine prices, biosynthetic human insulin remained compensated by 100%.
     Compensation for food is still provided despite several trials to stop it. The members of the LDA can acquire self-control devices on favourable terms.

Page 6
Cronicle Of the Lithuanian Diabetes Association

During 2-4 of November 2000 the President of LDA Vida Augustiniene participated to the conference of International Diabetes Magazines Committee in Cuernavaca, Mexico. During 5-10 of November she participated to the IDF congress in Mexico. Vida Augustiniene was elected to represent Europe in the steering committee of the ICDM.

On 9 of November the secretary-in-chief of LDA Danguole Kvedaraviciene took part in the celebration of World Diabetes Day in Ukmege, club "Vilkmerge", and on 11 of November in the 10 years jubilee of the club "Diabetikas ABC", Marijampole.

On 14 of November World Diabetes Day was celebrated in many districts of Lithuania. Representatives of LDA Vida Augustiniene and Danguole Kvedaraviciene took part in celebrations organized by clubs "Beta" and Dia", Vilnius.

On 17 of November quests from all the clubs and health professionals participated in conference of the Lithuanian Society of nurses diabetologists for 10 years jubilee. The diabetes educator Doris Hemmann from Germany shared her expierence. The books by chairwoman of the Society Juzefa Uleckiene were presented.

On 22 of November the chairwoman of the club "Atgaja" Jelena Simoniene and the President of LDA Vida Augustiniene met the director of the health center "Dainava" in Druskininkai. An opportunity to open a diabetes educational camp for children there was discussed.

During 24-25 of November the conference of endocrinologists "Urgent Questions of diabetology" took place in Birstonas. The President of LDA Vida Augustiniene talked about the problems of people with diabetes and gave suggestions of LDA how to solve them.

On 27 of November the representatives of LDA Vida Augustiniene and Danguole Kvedaraviciene took part in the celebration of World Diabetes Day in Zarasai.

On 28 of November the group formed by the Minister of Health discussed the meaning of 20% of Minimum Standard of Living compensation for food for people with diabetes. Vida Augustiniene represented people with diabetes. The representatives of the Ministry of Health (the chief-endocrinologist A.Norkus as well) offered to abolish the compensation and to spend the money for the compensation of the medicine for complications' treatment. The President of the LDA invited all the chiefs of the local diabetes clubs to discuss this question in the districts and to give an opinion to LDA. An opinion was united: the compensation for food is necessary.

On 29 of November the President of LDA Vida Augustiniene discussed the urgent questions with the members of Lentvaris diabetes club.

On 30 of November the President of LDA Vida Augustiniene took part in the conference of Lithuanian Arthritis Association. The same day she had meeting with the members of Panevezys diabetes club and tried together to find out the reasons of club's passiveness.

On 1 of December the conference "General roles of equal possibilities for disabled people, confirmed by UNO: rights, realities, possibilities" took place in Lithuanian Seym (Parliamant). Vida Augustiniene, Genovaite Naidzinaviciene, Jelena Simoniene and Laimute Vitkauskiene represented LDA.

On 9 of December Vida Augustiniene and Danguole Kvedaraviciene discussed the urgent questions on the activity in the diabetes club "Krantas", Birzai.

On 13 of December meeting and election of the community "Viltis" took place in Panevezys. The representatives of LDA invited to make the activity more active. Danute Kavaliauskiene was elected to the chief.

On 19 of December to President of LDA was not created conditions to participate in the meeting related with problems of people with diabetes in the Ministry of Health (Chief of endocrinologists did not allowed).

On 18 of January the activity of LDA in 2000 was discussed and the working plan for 2001 was confirmed in the sitting of LDA council.

On 20 of January the diabetes club "Lemtis" in Siauliai celebrated 10 years jubilee.

Pages 7-8
For the Welfare of The Members of the LDA
     The information of the compensations of self-control means and privileges for the members of LDA in acquiring the devices for the measurement of blood glucose is provided.

Diabetes and Lifestyle in the New Millennium
     The generalized information about the celebration of World Diabetes Day in Lithuania is provided. Meetings with society, conferences for nurses-diabetologists and endocrinologists took part. The drawing competition "The lifestyle of people with diabetes", radio and TV programs were organized. Press information was provided. More than 4 thousand people were checked prophylactic. 10.3% of them were suspected to have diabetes. 80% of these people are over 40 years old, 70% of them weights too much, and 16.5% of them have relatives with diabetes. These people were recommended to visit the health professionals as soon as possible. More than 48% of earlier diagnosed people with diabetes have uncontrolled diabetes.
     The nurse-diabetologist Doris Hemmann from Germany took part in the 10 year jubilee of the Lithuanian Society of nurses-diabetologists.

Pages 9-10
The Celebration of World Diabetes Day
Celebrations in the cities of Kaunas, Druskininkai, Jonava, and Vilnius are reviewed more thoroughly.

Pages 11-13
Children's Christmas
Vilnius club of children with diabetes "DIA-Bite" shares the impressions from Christmas celebrations.

The XVII Congress of International Diabetes Federation
The President of LDA Vida Augustiniene provides information from the congress, which took place in Mexico.

Page 14
Advertisement of Lilly Company on new pens of insulin "Humulin N pen"

Pages 15-17
Recommendations for the nutritional management of patients with diabetes mellitus
Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group (DNSG) of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), 1995

Pages 18
Osteoporosis
The information about the places, where analysis of the bones' density are done, is provided.

Indexes of the diabetes control
by Dr. Alminas Jarasunas
Dr. A.Jarasunas provides an information about the reasons why it is crucial to learn to control an illness. He offers to the people with diabetes type 2 not to be afraid of insulin injections. He explains an importance of self-control.

Advertisement of representatives of "Pfizer H. C. P. Corporation" in Lithuania about disorders of erection.

Pages 19
An Armlet for Medical Identification
Information about possibility to order and acquire an armlet for identification of a person with diabetes is reminded.

Pages 20-21
Lispro therapy
The data of the researches are provided according to the journal "Diabetesprofi 4/2000".

Page 22
Advertisement on self Control devices of representatives of Roche Diagnostics company "Eksmos MTC"

Page 23
Congratulations to the winners!
The winners of the competition "What do we Know About Diabetes" are announced. The questions of this competition were printed in all the numbers of "Diabetes" in 2000.

The poem "Free at Last"
by Vladislovas Blinstrubas
This poem is from the tenth book of this poet, who has diabetes.

Pages 24-25
Healthy Food
LDA published a book "A Child With Diabetes" prepared by Dainara Kartheiser. Information about the nutrition from this book is provided in this article. Parents who have a child with diabetes can find different advises in this book.

Pages 26-27
Modern Treatment of the Diabetes Foot
Prof. R.Kibisa offers the method of muscle stimulation for treatment diabetes foot.

Information about LDA in foreign press.

Page 28
Advertisements of representatives of Berlin-Chemie Menarini Group and Abbott Laboratories.

An information for week-sighted and blind people
Week-sighted and blind people with diabetes can get information about diabetes in English. You can get the newspaper "Voice of the diabetic" or a tape.