Beginning a public health initiative is never easy. It is hard to bring together motivated people with the right capabilities, attract the right resources and make a positive change. Now, help is at hand.

Unpacking the Urban Diabetes Action Framework

The Urban Diabetes Action Framework is your companion to kick-start your public health project. It is an interactive guide (PDF) that helps you develop impactful public health interventions to control and prevent diabetes and obesity, but it is also more than that. It can be the catalyst your initiative needs to reach the next level and be more impactful.

Whether you are just starting or could use some inspiration or tools to help elevate your execution, the six steps are there for you. In the coming newsletters, I look forward to presenting an introduction to each of the steps.

I want to encourage you and your partners to use this fantastic resource to drive public health interventions that will bend the curve on diabetes. I invite you to explore the framework on our website (www.citieschangingdiabetes.com) and share it with your partners. 

Let’s start with a look at Step 1

Getting started can be overwhelming. The Action Framework will help you focus your energy and resources right from the start. It will guide you through:

  1. 1.  Defining the problem You need to cut through the complexity you are faced with. The Action Framework helps you assess and understand the different aspects of the problem and what causes it. The Framework helps you organise and understand the context in which the problem exists and get down to the root causes of the problem: Now you know what needs to change

  2. 2.  Analysing the data The problem you are trying to address is part of a system of political priorities, sociocultural realities, and physical and social infrastructures. The Action Framework guides you through steps to engage with stakeholders and explore how these factors can be barriers or enablers for developing an intervention. Now you understand the context

  3. 3.  Deciding what to focus on A problem statement and a goal help specify the problem that needs to be solved by outlining critical aspects that the intervention will address. The Action Framework has worksheets and templates to help you rationalise your proposal. Now you have an intervention goal

    4. The best initiatives I have seen have key ingredients in common: They follow a structured approach to develop, plan, test and evaluate their actions. The Urban Diabetes Action Framework does this with you. Start exploring this resource today.