Peers for Progress kicks off in Geneva

The Peers for Porgress formal introduction to the world happened at the WHO Consultative Conference held in Geneva, NOvember 5-7 with an overview of the evidence asof peer support programs in the world to date. The nearly 50 invited guests participated in a very interactive discussion groups talking about the knowledge that exists from teh arious peer support programs in the six WHO regions around the world.

We are very grateful to Dr. Serge Resnikoff and Dr. Gojka Roglic of the WHO for their suppor in hosting this fine event. A thank you as well to the co-chairs ( Siminerio and Funnell), speakers ( Leonski, Lorig, Simmons, Less, Soegondo, Baksi) and Chairs of the discussion groups( Fisher, Marerro, Funnell, Snoek). They have a good experience in these activies and the impact the programs could have in the communities around the world. The six regions of the WHO world were represented by their leadership as well as leaders from the health professional groups, organizations with interests in diabets and patients themselves. This led to some hight level and emotional discussions trying to answer the sqsuestions: WHo can be a peer supporter? WHo needs the support? What can peers do and how will they trained and monitored? HOw will the peers sustain their viability in th ecommunities in which they live and serve?

It was determined that peer supporters should have diabetes or a close relationship to diabetes. They need to be recognized in some way for what they do. The community should define the role of the peer supporter. The Role of the peer supporter could evolve in the health service system or community based system of care. There needs to be more evidence generated to further clarify the value of the peer in the health care system and community which means more clinical studies and / or demonstration projects. The programs needs to be global as the exploding demand for resouces are needed in the lor resource communities.

The Central hypothesis of the Peers for Progress program is that
sustainable individual behavioral chagnes are necessary to improve lon-term outcomes and will occur through peer to peer interactions, mentoring and role-modeling. Peers ror Progress will develop nationwide programs to identify, train lay volunteers with diabetes to become "peer supporters". A Peer Supporter will have the cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal skills to assist another person with diabetes in adapting to the considerable emotional, social and daily self-care demands of diabetes. It is believed that one percent of teh peole with diabetes have the phenotype and desire to become a Peer Supporter.