|
Individuals with diabetes, local dignitaries and health professionals, and those interested in the disease were treated to a festive day filled with speakers, exhibits and healthful food at the annual World Diabetes Day celebration which was held on November 16, 1998 on the island of Dominica. The special celebration was recognized by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) which sent a representative, Ms. Catherine Preston, Director of Public Relations, to deliver the keynote address. Dr. Eugene Tull , the Program Director for the MIRT program at the University of Pittsburgh was invited to present a summary of the MIRT research projects that have been conducted on that island since 1995. The event provided an ideal opportunity for updating the local diabetic population and health professionals about the comprehensive diabetes research program that is been developed on Dominica through collaboration of the University of Pittsburgh MIRT Program, and the Dominica Diabetic Association. Dr. Tull told of the MIRT approach to studying diabetes in Dominica which includes studies focusing on disease surveillance , risk factor assessment , and intervention. The audience was shown that with the assistance of MIRT students, a diabetes surveillance system, which may serve as a model for other Caribbean countries, was developed on Dominica and the results published in the Pan American Journal of Public Health. An update of the ongoing prospective Study of Diabetes Risk Factors (SDRF) which began in 1997 among 549 Dominican women was also presented. Over the years, the MIRT research projects on Dominica have been very successful. The presentation of the results of these projects to a national audience at the World Diabetes Day celebration on Dominica should help to generate the support needed to maintain the success of the MIRT program on Dominica . |
Send mail to PittMIRT@netscape.net with questions or comments about this web site. |