WARSAW, POLAND MAKING AN IMPACT ON CLIMATE

WARSAW, POLAND

WARSAW IDENTIFIES TEACHERS AS DRIVERS OF CHANGE

There has been a significant increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes in Poland in recent years.52 This increase is compounded by the fact that there is limited knowledge about the disease in the country and early symptoms are not always easy to identify.

5 MILLION

PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH PRE-DIABETES52

Although Warsaw only officially joined Cities Changing Diabetes in November 2019, the Cities Changing Diabetes Scientific Council was set up in February 2019. Comprising clinicians, system experts, health economists and patient organisations, the Scientific Council will oversee the work of the Cities Changing Diabetes initiative in Poland.

CHANGE THROUGH EDUCATION

Given that 20–30% of children in Poland are overweight52 and are therefore more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, the Scientific Council has decided to begin its research and education efforts in schools, where children spend at least 41 hours a week. As explained by Dr Gałązka-Sabotka, dean of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies at Lazaski University, "On average, a child spends 41 hours a week at school – even a little more than the standard adult work time. Our children shape their health attitudes in conversation with teachers and by observing their attitudes. A teacher not only educates, but also shapes awareness".

By educating children on diabetes and healthy habits, the Cities Changing Diabetes partners hope to also educate and change the habits of their parents. Consequently, teachers will propagate this knowledge and, as such, have been identified as the focus of initial research.

The planned teacher survey will explore what awareness teachers have of diabetes and its risk factors, and their personal experiences of dealing with diabetes in children. The research, which will be carried out by Lazarski University, will be completed in the last quarter of 2020. Recommendations from the research report will be used for further discussion at local and national government level.

KRAKOW TO JOIN IN 2020

While the research will initially be carried out in Warsaw, the city of Krakow is set to join Cities Changing Diabetes in the second half of 2020. When it does, the Scientific Council is planning to extend its research to include educational institutions in Krakow. These two cities are Poland’s largest cities,37 making them prime locations for beginning a movement for taking action to bend the curve on diabetes.

Instytut Człowieka Świadomego (ICS)

Obywatele dla Zdrowia (PUOP)

Instytut Zarządzania W Ochronie Zdrowia, Uczelnia Łazarskiego (IZWOZ)

“This initiative is definitely noteworthy, given the awareness of the threat facing Polish society in connection with the increased risk of diabetes in the next two decades. Undoubtedly, as part of the Cities Changing Diabetes programme, we must thoroughly examine the problem at the level of the largest agglomerations and selected social groups to propose long-term and effective solutions in the form of health interventions tailored to the specificity of Poland.”

Dr Małgorzata Gałązka-Sabotka, PhD in economics; dean of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies and director of the Institute of Healthcare Management at Lazarski University – academic think-tank dealing with research and analysis on the healthcare sector; director of the Centre for Value-Based Healthcare; vice chairman of the Board of the National Health Fund (NFZ)