Gestational diabetes is the most common medical complication during pregnancy. It causes high blood sugar that can affect both the mother and the baby’s health. Treating it with medicine alone is not enough. The people around us also play a crucial role in managing health. Family members, friends, and community support can make a real difference in everyday life.
Danida supports the research project Living Together with Chronic Disease: Informal Support for Diabetes Management in Vietnam – Phase II (VALID II), which explores how informal support helps women manage gestational diabetes. By combining medical knowledge with insights into everyday life and culture, the project shows how powerful it can be when formal treatment is complemented by informal care.
VALID II is implemented from December 2022 to November 2026. It is a continuation of VALID I, which was implemented from 2018 to 2024. Read more.
Together, the two projects bring clinical researchers and anthropologists from Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy (TBUMP) in Vietnam together with the University of Copenhagen and the University of Southern Denmark. The collaboration has introduced practical initiatives such as diabetes clubs and education programmes, strengthening diabetes care in Vietnam’s Thai Binh province.
The project focuses on gestational diabetes and the challenges it poses for women and families. Early findings show that more women are being tested for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), and those diagnosed benefit greatly from the support of family and friends.
Other links
