As November kicks off, the Dominica Diabetes Association (DOMDA) has rolled out a full-spectrum island-wide public health campaign aligned with this year’s global World Diabetes Month theme of “Early action on diabetes”, combining faith-based engagement, school-focused educational outreach, and community wellness events to tackle the growing burden of the chronic condition across the Caribbean nation.
Unlike traditional public health awareness drives that rely solely on clinical settings, DOMDA’s 2026 initiative is strategically designed to meet communities where they already gather, leveraging two of Dominica’s most trusted institutional networks: local faith congregations and school parent-teacher associations, to break down longstanding barriers to diabetes literacy and early screening.
The faith-centered pillar of the campaign reaches its peak on November 14, World Diabetes Day itself, with a dedicated intergenerational service hosted at the Roseau Seventh-day Adventist Church starting at 10:30 a.m. The event is open to all people living with diabetes, their family members, and primary caregivers, and is structured to weave evidence-based health guidance into familiar spiritual frameworks: organizers will guide attendees to frame proactive nutrition choices, regular glucose testing, and consistent health monitoring as acts of personal stewardship, rather than standalone medical obligations. DOMDA’s leadership notes that partnering with local churches addresses a key gap in past outreach, as faith leaders are widely viewed as trusted messengers who can spark open, non-stigmatized family conversations about a condition that often carries unspoken social stigma in small island communities.
Recognizing the sharp, underreported rise in pediatric diabetes risk across the Eastern Caribbean, DOMDA has also mapped out a tiered, cross-border educational program targeting schools, parents, and educators to instill lifelong healthy habits early. The school-focused series launches on November 23 with a joint virtual PTA session connecting participants from Dominica and Barbados, co-hosted alongside the Health and Education Departments of the East Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This online regional dialogue is followed by an in-person PTA engagement at Portsmouth Secondary School on November 24, and wraps up with a localized, community-focused session at Bense Primary School on November 30. Beyond urging caregivers to replace sugary beverages with low-sugar alternatives and prioritize nutrient-dense, balanced school lunches, the training modules are specifically tailored to give K-12 teachers practical, actionable guidance to support students living with Type 1 diabetes in classroom settings, from recognizing sudden symptom flares to administering emergency care if needed.
The full campaign formally launched on November 2 via a national public address and distributed press release that laid out the full month’s itinerary for all island residents. To cap off the month’s activities, DOMDA is partnering with the Lions Club of Dominica to host a community “Glow Walk” on November 27, a family-friendly evening physical activity event designed to make regular movement feel accessible and celebratory rather than a chore.
Across all its planned activities, DOMDA’s core stated goal is to build a cross-sector collaborative ecosystem that unites healthcare providers, faith leaders, educators, families, and local nonprofits to reduce preventable diabetes diagnoses, expand support for people already living with the condition, and push the island’s public health infrastructure to prioritize early intervention as a cost-effective, life-saving strategy.
DOMDA launches World Diabetes Month campaign with focus on faith-based outreach and school screenings
