Adventist Overview On-line | Adventists Launch Initiative to Combat the Diabetes Epidemic in Kiribati

April 8, 2021

The 10,000 Toes Campaign aims to save limbs and teach principles of healthy living.

Creators: Tracey Bridcutt, Adventist Record and Adventist Review

P.People living in the remote Pacific nation of Kiribati now have access to health screenings and workshops through a new wellness hub run by Seventh-day Adventists.

The Tarawa Wellness Hub on the main island of South Tarawa is supported by the 10,000 Toes Campaign, an initiative that aims to turn the tide of diabetes and save lives and limbs before they are negatively affected by diabetes .

The program started in Kiribati on February 28, 2021. The start, broadcast on Hope Radio, was attended by the country’s Vice President, Teuea Toatu, his wife Brucetta and the President of the Kiribati Mission, Taabua Rokeatau, and his wife Raobe.

Toatu was reportedly very impressed with the wellness hub run by Teera Katarake, the leading 10,000 Toes ambassador to Kiribati, with the support of an enthusiastic team of health workers. After launch, more than 50 people visited the center to request health exams and they were inducted into the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP).

Like other Pacific states, Kiribati is in the midst of a health crisis due to lifestyle diseases. According to 2019 health data, 81 percent of Kiribati’s population is obese and 36 percent do not meet the guidelines for physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization. In 2019, 96 people were amputated limbs due to diabetes.

Katarake said funds are urgently needed to buy a vehicle, conduct health screenings and workshops in remote communities, attend schools, conduct health talks and exams, and connect with people on the CHIP program.

“Truck rental here is very expensive and it would be better to have your own transport,” she said. “We urgently need transportation.”

The 10,000 Toes Campaign is an initiative of the South Pacific Division Health Departments in partnership with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Australia. Its aim is to equip each Pacific village with the skills and tools to conduct community health assessments for the early detection of diabetes and other related chronic diseases. The aim is also to train and equip lifestyle coaches to implement programs for the prevention, arrest and reversal of type 2 diabetes in every village. Finally, it aims to improve the ability of health professionals working in health systems across the South Pacific to manage diabetes.

Pam Townend, 10,000 toes coordinator, said 30 screening kits were sent to Kiribati as a result of generous donations for the campaign.

“We are very excited about the 10,000 Toes launch in Kiribati and what this will mean for this isolated country,” she said. “And we look forward to a decrease in amputations in the years to come.”

The original version of this story was published by Adventist Record.

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