The project
What is CEAD?
CEAD stands for “Contextualizing Evidence for Action on Diabetes in low-resource Settings: a Mixed-methods case study in Quito and Esmeraldas. Ecuador”. It is a research project led by the Universidad Miguel Hernández in Spain and the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Ecuador (PUCE), funded by the European Union via an ERC Starting Grant.
It deals with one of the major 21st century health challenges worldwide: the constant increase of diabetes cases, especially in low- and medium-resource countries. It is precisely in these countries where three quarters of the world population currently suffering from diabetes live. In addition, this disease is believed to be the cause of more than 80% of deaths due to non-communicable diseases in people aged between 30 and 69 years.
The general objective is to analyse the process through which the global recommendations for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes can translate into actions that are applicable to the context of low-resource countries or regions. Although there is considerable information on how to prevent and manage diabetes, there may be barriers that hinder the correct application of the recommendations. Therefore, these regions could benefit from actions whose design is based on scientific evidence adjusted to their context.
More information
Research will be conducted in two very different places in Ecuador: the 17D06 District in Quito (a low-income urban area in the capital of the country) and the 08D02 District in Esmeraldas (a rural area, that is difficult to reach, with a high rate of Afro-Ecuadoran population). Mixed methods will be used, combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies by means of population surveys, the Delphi method, focal groups, cohort studies, interviews, storytelling plus a campaign to promote health. This process will enable us to develop a toolbox to facilitate contextualizing evidence for action in low-and medium-resource settings.
The project involves patients, members of the community, health workers, and decision makers in the process of creating, interpreting and using knowledge to help reduce the “know-do” gap, triggering political action and/or changes in the health care models while helping to strengthen the health systems and achieve greater health equity.
Goals of the Project
General Goal
- Analysing the social process by which global recommendations for the prevention of diabetes can translate into actions to be applied in low-resource settings.
Specific Goals
- Providing rigorous epidemiologic data on the risk of diabetes and its morbidity in two low-income areas in Ecuador.
- Using local knowledge, epidemiologic perception, and data to analyse contextual relevance and applying a sample of public politics aimed at encouraging healthy diets and increasing physical activity.
- To evaluate implementation of comprehensive diabetes care in 2 low-resource settings (including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care delivery); and identify how local health services might be strengthened to overcome weaknesses.
- To co-design contextually relevant health systems innovations to improve diabetes prevention and care locally(and assess the process).
- Developing a tool kit in order to contextualize and apply recommendations on diabetes in low-income areas.
