Global Micro-Clinics Project

According to the International Diabetes Federation, the global diabetes epidemic has the potential to become one of the greatest health catastrophes the world has seen. A key Middle Eastern country, Jordan's economy and health care infrastructure are presently bearing the burdens of regional instability, the tremendous influx of Iraqi refugees, significant levels of poverty and unemployment, and a growing diabetes epidemic. The high prevalence of diabetes in Jordan and the greater Middle East calls for economically feasible national plans for the management and prevention of diabetes and its complications.

The Global Micro-Clinics Project, founded by a former UC Berkeley undergraduate establishes a model of community- owned and managed "micro-clinics" that provide access to health care in impoverished and/or war-torn contexts. The micro-clinic model introduces hands-on educational strategies and simple tools to empower individuals in such communities to proactively manage their health. Each micro-clinic (MC) consists of a small group of diabetic or "at-risk" individuals connected as friends, family or neighbors, who choose to form a MC based on mutual need and interest. Members are provided with training and education by medical professionals, and meet together to share access to simple, inexpensive medical technologies, like glucose monitors, in a designated home or business location.

Principal Investigator: Professor Eva Harris, School of Public Health
Lead Researcher: Daniel Zoughbie GMCP President, BA in Urban Studies (2006), UC Berkeley.
Field Location: Jordan
Partners: World Diabetes Foundation; International Diabetes Federation; Royal Health Awareness Society (Jordan); Jordanian Ministry of Health; Deshpande Foundation

Global MicroClinics Project Website