Community-Based Diabetes Management Programmes in South African Rural Areas: Health Outcomes, Cost Savings, and Community Satisfaction

Community-based diabetes management programmes have emerged as a promising strategy to address high prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes in South African rural areas. A mixed-methods approach incorporating surveys, medical records analysis, and qualitative interviews was employed to assess programme effectiveness. Participants demonstrated a significant improvement in glycemic control (HbA1c reduction by an average of 7.5% from baseline), with improvements sustained over two years. The community-based diabetes management programmes not only enhanced patient health outcomes but also resulted in substantial cost savings for the healthcare system, translating to a $200 per participant annual cost reduction. Future initiatives should prioritise ongoing support and continuous engagement with communities to sustain these positive impacts. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.