UDOP 2012

A bit of history- culled from our CCFP archives.

UDOP was formed in Jamaica in 1991 with the aid of a grant of UK$50,000 from the Wolfson Foundation. Its mission is to translate all information about diabetes for communication far and wide to the nation.
This activity developed along two paths via communication and research.
The acronym recently changed to the UTech Diabetes Outreach Project, was originally called the University Diabetes Outreach Project, birthed in the Biochemistry Department of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus in Jamaica – the driving force being Professor Errol Morrison with his team of postgraduate Biochemistry students. The Universities involved now include the UWI-Mona Campus, the University of Technology (UTech),Jamaica and the Northern Caribbean University (NCU),Jamaica.
From the inception it was a collaborative effort with the Diabetes Association of Jamaica (DAJ) involving teaching and improving awareness of diabetes to the public at large and to persons suffering from diabetes. Group meetings were carried out island wide with opening up of more and more branch activity for the DAJ. I was privileged to attend one of these meetings at the Community Health Department at UWI-Mona where there were kitchen demonstrations and meals cooked by and served to diabetics with information shared on portion and calorie control as well as foot care and general counselling. This collaboration strengthened the radio programme which had been underway since 1985 and produced by the Radio Education Unit (REU) of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus. This programme was able to reach a listenership of almost 900,000 persons, most of them however being in the urban areas.

Symposia were arranged for all members of the healthcare team that would need to interact with persons suffering from diabetes and this included doctors, nurses, pharmacists, chiropodists and technologists. Out of these were developed an annual training course and the international conference which we now know as UDOP.
This has become one of the premier medical meetings in the Caribbean. It has attracted an average attendance of over 500 participants, from North America, Europe, the rest of the Caribbean and even as far afield as the Far East, Africa and China. It has given Caribbean doctors, medical students and interns, health practitioners and persons suffering with diabetes the opportunity to hear from and interact with well respected international experts in the management of diabetes and its entertaining and high profile social programme has served to highlight the diabetes team at work and at play.
Longstanding UDOP partners and co-sponsors have been the American Diabetes Association and the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute.

One crowning achievement of UDOP which may not be widely known is the 24 hour 4-storey “one stop” treatment and counseling clinic in operation since September 1997 and situated in Kingston, Jamaica. This was one of the chief objectives of the UDOP, to provide a service to “all in need”. The clinic houses a comprehensive array of services for persons with diabetes inclusive of consultants, physiotherapy, pharmacy, laboratory, gymnasium, renal dialysis, conference & eye laser facilities. This centre works closely with the Mona Institute of Medical Sciences in providing excellence in health care delivery as well as teaching of medical graduates. It is also a part of the Nephrology Institute of the Caribbean spearheaded by Professor Everard Barton of the department of Medicine, UWI-Mona Campus.

Research constitutes the second arm of the UDOP. concentrating on the epidemiology and incidence of diabetes mellitus in Jamaica, and the relationship between diabetes and other risk factors such as hypertension and obesity. Landmark studies have been published and cross referenced in indexed journals, these being carried out with the assistance of WHO and the International Diabetes Federation.
The UDOP Conference held annually in March also co-hosts meetings of the Diabetes Associations of the Caribbean and the North American region of the International Diabetes Federation.
UDOP has also had a strong partnership with the pharmaceutical industry.
The Conference continues to be the premier one of its kind largely because of the vision that gave it birth and the fact that this has been translated into meaningful activity and a viable networking tool for all of the Caribbean stakeholders in the care of diabetes by the dedication of its conference coordinators. Believe it or not, they have remained true to the cause from the inception- and they include Professor Errol Morrison, Dr. Fay Whitbourne-Morrison, Mr. Kushan Amarakoon, Operations Consultant, Ms. Thornia Smith Conference Secretary/Administrator, Mrs. Lurline Less & Mr Owen Bernard Liaison Officers from the Diabetes Association of Jamaica.
Associate coordinators in the beginning were: Dr.(now Professor) Paul Teelucksingh - Trinidad & Tobago; Dr. Livy Forde - Barbados; Professor E. Albert Reece - then University of Arkansas Medical School (USA); Ms. Susanne Laws, Diabetes Centre, Tallahassee (USA). and Dr. Sonia Roache (Trinidad & Tobago) – the latter representing the Caribbean College of Family Physicians(CCFP). There has always been a strong link between the CCFP and UDOP and Dr. Al Bailey (Past Regional President of CCFP) continues on the Board of the present UDOP as their Co-Chairperson.
Traditionally, a lunchtime slot on the penultimate date of the Conference has been set aside for a CCFP meeting which used to be the first Board Meeting for the year. Family doctors attending the Conference from all the regions, English and non- English speaking were given an opportunity to meet each other and to discuss family medicine issues. Regretfully, not many family doctors seem to be taking advantage of this opportunity and one wonders if the interest in diabetes is waning and why?
A special feature on the last morning of the Conference is the Health and Wellness 5K/10K Fun/Run/Walk, an activity that allows everyone that participates to win a medal. Additionally, the Sir Phillip Sherlock and the Sir Alastair McIntyre Distinguished Lecture Series have been inaugurated. Recipients of these awards include Prof Claude Mbanya , President of IDF, Dr. Jean-Phillipe Assal, Dr. James Gavin 111.
The 18th UDOP Conference is to be held between March 29 and April 01, 2012 at its favorite venue Sunset Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho Rios; the theme “ New Frontiers in Diabetes Management”. The Conference Secretariat is housed at UWI, Biochemistry Department and its official website is http://www.udop.org.jm/
The Conference is accredited by CCFP for its members and has been awarded a minimum of 15 Credit Hours.
Will you be there?