Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI) was established under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, the late Emir of the State of Kuwait, and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) to combat diabetes in Kuwait. 

Since its inauguration in 2006, the Institute has strived to address the diabetes epidemic in Kuwait through focused research, integrated prevention, training, and education.

 

 

Research and Operational Activities:

Through its Research, Medical, and Operational Sectors, the DDI makes every effort to create a platform that applies its knowledge towards translational research, from basic sciences to clinical trials, point-of-care applications, scientific findings, and drug discoveries.

 

 

The DDI Research Sector represents the backbone of modern and innovative medicine. The team members apply their knowledge and expertise to understand diabetes in the Arab population and to improve health outcomes. The research projects focus on identifying gene variants, clinically relevant biomarkers, dietary components, and other risk factors for developing new medical approaches to diabetes care. In addition to developing new diagnostic techniques and preventative medicine approaches as keys to improving diabetes prevention and management.

The institute facilitates projects that translate research from the bench to the bedside. In 2019, it initiated two new clinical research programs, namely: the Diabetes Remission and the Quality of Life, which are structured programs that aim to improve the healthcare delivery services, patient well-being, and diabetes outcomes through behavioral interventions and therapeutics. The Diabetes Remission Program is the first type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remission clinic in the region. This program accepts patients with T2DM on any medication and any duration. From these projects, the institute published 77 publications in 2019, of which 50 are original research publications.

 

 

The Medical Sector’s team utilizes the highest standards of medical care and the latest research findings to tackle all aspects of diabetes prevention, treatment, and management. It drives the institute’s initiatives by adopting an interdisciplinary approach and takes advantage of the Research Sector’s novel discoveries in diabetes that contribute to new medical treatments to improve health outcomes. 

It also develops educational programs that improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Moreover, it engages the medical and scientific communities to encourage innovation and research excellence.

 

 

The team uses innovative behavioral interventions to share diabetes-related knowledge with the public, and it aims to benefit the community by developing educational and awareness-raising programs. It continues to expand the public’s awareness of diabetes through educational events, outreaches activities, seminars, lectures, and ensuring public engagement.

 

 

The Operations Sector builds and maintains the foundations of the Institute, thereby transforming philosophies to measurable outcomes. This Sector manages service performance, technological proficiency, data management, and employee performance to achieve organizational transformation and financial sustainability.

 

 

It initiated numerous projects in partnership with international organizations. These includes collaborations  with the World Obesity Federation to establish the “Kuwait Obesity Academy” and with the Ministry of Health to start the “National Diabetes Registry” as a database for T1DM, and T2DM in all age groups. 

 

In 2019, the DDI- GeoHealth Lab was inaugurated in collaboration with “George Institute Global Health”. The institute became the only training center in the Middle East for Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating, having collaborated with DAFNE and extended the cooperation for clinical training, expansion of the DAFNE pump program, health economist training, and qualitative training.

 

 

Awards & Recognition:

 

The Ministry of Health in Kuwait endorsed the institute’s nomination to receive the “Emirates Foundation for Health Development-World Health Organization Award” for excellence, achievements, and contributions in the areas of diabetes prevention, treatment and research. It  has been accredited “Unconditional Diamond Level” by Accreditation Canada, and its Clinical Laboratory attained the College of American Pathologists accreditation for maintaining test result accuracy and ensuring appropriate patient diagnostics. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance represents the institute’s continuous efforts to protect and maintain the integrity of patient data.

 

DDI-Kuwait deserves the Hamdan Award for Medical College/ Institute or Centre in the Arab World for the term 2019-2020 for its excellence and contributions in the areas of diabetes prevention, treatment, and research.