Project HOPE and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation are joining forces and tapping into the power of text messaging technology to help women in Mexico fight Gestational Diabetes.
Gestational diabetes refers to a condition in which high blood sugar (diabetes) starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy. In some cases, pregnancy hormones block insulin and glucose levels may dangerously increase in a pregnant woman’s blood.
Representatives from Project HOPE tell Voxxi they are hopeful that their new program will raise awareness about the condition among women in Mexico City.
The program, called “Using Mobile Technology for Diabetes Management Among High Risk Mothers in Mexico,” will send informative text messages about prevention and treatment of gestational diabetes to help educate an estimated 1,000 low-income mothers.
“With mobile phones literally at the fingertips of many pregnant women and new moms at risk of gestational diabetes, they are a powerful tool for teaching women how to avoid and care for the illness,” says Paul Madden, Senior Advisor, Non-communicable Diseases, in a Project HOPE statement.
Estimates suggest that gestational diabetes may affect nearly 1 in 5 Mexican mothers.
Another reason to help curb this phenomenon is that approximately half of all women who develop gestational diabetes will progress into type 2 diabetes in five to ten years.