Personalized approaches to prevent obesity and diabetes

On June 16, 2020, the implementation of the cross-border project started at the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (PNU) “Personalized approaches to prevent obesity and diabetes - a joint Romanian-Ukrainian program to acquire and disseminate health knowledge (PrePOD)”. Grant 2SOFT / 4.1 / 56. This project is funded by the European Union. The Romania-Ukraine Joint Operational Program 2014-2020 is funded by the European Union through the European Neighborhood Instrument and co-financed by the countries participating in the Program.

The total project budget is € 329,200, € 296,280 (90%) is the contribution of the Romania-Ukraine Joint Operational Program 2014-2020 and € 32,920 (10%) is the contribution of both partners: Stefan cel Mare University (Suceava) and Precarpathian National University. named after Vasyl Stefanyk (Ivano-Frankivsk).

Project implementation period – 18 months.

The coordinators are Professor, Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology PNU Volodymyr Lushchak (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine) and Professor, Head of the Department of Health and Human Development, Stefan cel Mare University Mihai Covasa (Suceava, Romania). The project team from the Ukrainian side includes specialists from the Precarpathian National University and Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University.

The main goal of the project – raising public awareness of the risk factors for overweight, obesity and diabetes, screening adults and children in the field and providing personalized counseling.

The project aims to help reduce the spread of obesity and diabetes in Ukraine and Romania.

TASK

• Screen individuals (adults and children) to identify their risks for overweight, obesity or diabetes and provide integrative individualized tools for disease prevention.

• Assess current medical practices of family physicians and train primary care providers in adopting preventive approaches and effective nutrition counseling for obese and diabetic patients.

• Intensify cooperation between Romanian and Ukrainian health professionals in order to:

1) gaining a scientific understanding of the current situation regarding obesity and type 2 diabetes in our regions;

2) determination of general scientifically sound decisions to reduce the rate of disease;

3) increase the level of access of teachers, technical staff and students to scientific knowledge by involving them in programs of exchange visits, trainings and project activities related to research activities.

TARGET GROUPS

I. Direct target groups:

1) Local community

It is represented by Romanian and Ukrainian urban and rural population of adult and school age from the basic regions of Suceava County and Ivano-Frankivsk region who are ill or at risk of obesity and / or diabetes.

2) Family health workers

The second goal of the project is to involve local health workers in providing nutrition and education consultations in primary care facilities in Romania / Ukraine.

II. Indirect target groups:

Teachers, researchers, technical staff, students and other staff involved in this project from both countries.