Life for a Child Programme

THE LIFE for a Child (LFAC) programme is an International Diabetes Federation (IDF) programme which was launched in Jamaica in 2010 in collaboration with the Diabetes Association of Jamaica (an IDF member association) and the Ministry of Health. The programme supports patients with type 1 diabetes between the ages of two and 26, transitioning off the programme at age 25.

In 2010, the LFAC started out with 120 type 1 diabetics in six hospitals; in 2020, this has grown to 451 patients at 12 hospitals islandwide.

BENEFITS OF THE LFAC PROGRAMME

Monthly supplies free of cost for LFAC beneficiaries, distributed quarterly through hospital pharmacies managed by the National Health Fund, are:

• Insulin (1 regular; 1 NPH; 1 70/30 as per prescription);

• Blood glucose monitor and test strips (1 monitor at registration and 50 test strips per month);

• Lancets (33 tests per month);

• Syringes (12 per month);

• Education materials;

• A1c and microalbumin testing ;

• Technological support – retinal camera (free diabetic retinal screening for LFAC beneficiaries annually).

SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS

There are support group meetings with beneficiaries and caregivers in each hospital community. We seek to strengthen the partnership with the healthcare team, patients, caregivers and community to have these meetings quarterly. Meetings include consultations and discussions on topics such as eating right and managing insulin therapy to improve diabetes control; A1C and microalbumin testing are also done every three months, free of cost, on the programme.

For further information, please contact the Diabetes Association at 876-927-6774 or 876-397-6021.