Prevention of Type II Diabetes in Honduras: El Cacao as a Case Study

Abstract

Honduras is one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the Western Hemisphere. Poverty affects access to quality healthcare and education, making it hard to manage chronic illness, specifically diabetes. Type II diabetes is on the rise in Honduras; it is estimated that currently up to 10% of adults are affected. This project will focus on reducing the prevalence of type II diabetes in Honduras, highlighting strategies for the prevention of the disease with a strong focus on education. El Cacao, a small village on the northern coast of Honduras, will be used as a case study, where I spent much of last summer as a medical volunteer. I will use much of my exposure to healthcare and the management of diabetes there as evidence to support some proposed strategies for diabetes prevention.