Calling on Mauritians and Friends of Mauritius of the World: Unite to Fight the Pandemic of Diabetes
It is insightful to consider that peoples from around the world took possession of an uninhabited tiny island in the sun in the Southern Seas and collectively made it into a Mauritian nation.
It is also a testimony of our place in the world that Mauritians have radiated back around the planet and formed vibrant communities wherever they have settled. The Mauritian Kreol language can be heard spoken from Boston to Dublin to Strasbourg to Cape Town to Melbourne to Vancouver and literally every nook and cranny of the world; this is remarkable given that Mauritius is no bigger than about half of the state of Rhode Island in the US. Expatriates and children of expatriates come back time and again to the irresistible call of the mother country to enjoy Mauritian delights of sun, sea, family, and community.
To the group of people who can claim bloodlines back to the island, we have an even bigger mass of friends of Mauritius who have fallen in love with the place and have come to believe in the wisdom of Mark Twain’s pronouncement that “Mauritius was made first and Heaven was copied after it”. Mauritius, then, more than a speck, la douce fleur sur une vague jetée, is a grand idea. It is the notion of unfailing civility in public discourse, of the welcome mat always ready for our own, for friends and visitors.
The Mauritian idea is the understanding that while we may not have mineral riches within our borders, we have toil and sweat and smile to provide in abundance. No doubt, therefore, the people are the one and the most important resource for the nation of Mauritius.
With 40% of the Mauritian population either diabetic or pre-diabetic, the grand idea of Mauritius, the way we have labored to become, is threatened. The health care burden such a situation imposes on the prosperity of the nation makes type II diabetes and its related conditions of stroke and cardiovascular diseases (CNCD; chronic non-communicable diseases), a matter of national security.
We have to unite against the pandemic of CNCD that is sickening people around the world with no relief in sight. We have to rise up and fight at the grassroots level for ourselves, our children, and future generations. By believing in the strengths of our communities in the mother country and other communities in which Mauritians have settled in sizable numbers around the world (The Seven Nations), we have what it takes to right this plight. Join our mission. (<<<link>>>)
The 5-2035 Global Foundation for Community Health:
Focused on Grassroots Community Health to Vanquish Diabetes in Mauritius
Around a grassroots organization, a community of Mauritians and friends of Mauritius have started ‘The 5-2035 Global Foundation for Community Health’ (GFCH – 5-2035.org ) with a vision to beat down diabetes and its ugly CNCD cousins in Mauritius as a model for the rest of the planet. This vision, called 5-2035, aims to curb type II diabetes in Mauritius in a generation to 5% by the year 2035. We will prevail and we will showcase to the world how one global community can band together to lead the fight against the CNCD pandemic, just like Mauritius is a model of peace, harmony, and prosperity.
While 80% of CNCD is preventable, health care systems around the world have been unable to stem the rising tide of this pandemic. The 5-2035 vision is a radical departure from the traditional, ineffective ‘top-down’ system of health care delivery where experts and government officials force-feed communities to change for better health with little to show for it. Inspired by the SEED-SCALE (Self-Evaluation for Effective Decision-making + System for Communities to Adapt Learning and Expand) model of sustainable community-based human development, 5-2035 empowers communities to take charge of their health, thereby decreasing health care costs, strengthening local communities, and improving citizenship and quality of life.
The full 76-page 5-2035 White Paper or the Executive Summary are available upon request. They explain how the Mauritian government, scientists, health professionals, the business community, and private citizens can work together using the SEED-SCALE approach to transform Mauritian health care as a universal model. 5-2035 calls for promoting national unity, investing in human potential in a fiscally-responsive manner, and focusing on public-private partnerships and pragmatic frugal innovation.
At the heart of 5-2035 is the community cell, a grouping of 1,000 neighbors represented by a volunteer apolitical community health committee (CHC) who will work together with a community health nurse practitioner (CHNP) in all matters relating to health and quality of life. Each group of 10 CHNPs will be supervised by a community health doctor (CHDr). This organization will be supported by a community health development initiative (CHDI) secretariat constituting support staff, principal CHNPs, and CHDrs overseen by a CHDI Czar. The CHDI will be overseen by a directorate of health care reform (DHCR) under the aegis of the Office of the President, the Prime Minister’s Office, the ministry of health and an external advisory board.
Our Mauritian community and friends of Mauritius spread around the globe has the unshakable faith that in less than a generation, 5-2035 has the potential to be the beacon of grassroots-empowered health care delivery for the whole world. In so doing, Mauritius will become the steward of good citizenry and good health and quality of life within a generation.
How Can You Help?
More important than financial support, which we obviously have a need for, we need your time commitment. The GFCH is currently comprised of volunteer citizens of Mauritius and of the world who donate their time to the cause of 5-2035 with our vision to curb diabetes to 5% in the country in a generation as a model for the rest of the world. We have gathered in our fold a group of people who have personal, professional and altruistic motivations, commitment to seeing our mission succeed by sustained pragmatism and efforts that are frugally innovative focused on empowering communities to take control of their health, lifestyle, and quality of life.
Join us as a citizen volunteer, leader or supporter at the 5-2035 GFCH to change the dire health of Mauritius and bring about a new era of improved health and quality of life. We need Mauritians and friends of Mauritius from around the world to advocate for 5-2035 at every level. We will change the world with your help. Come join a transformative movement. (<<<link>>>)
Please see our business model canvas for an overview of on our activities, costs, and expenditures. (<<<link>>>)