Improving self-management for Type 2 diabetes and hypertension patients in Peri-urban townships in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The rising burden of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) and the impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in general on weak public health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) require innovative approaches for disease prevention and management. T2D and HTN are major preventable NCDs through early risk factor detection. Once diagnosed with these conditions, patients’ monitoring and control is done to reduce the occurrence of disease complications. We hypothesized that optimized contextual patient self-management plays a critical role in risk factor control, disease management and prevention of complications.