Diabetes is Not a Destiny

Thursday, 28 march, marked a pivotal moment as Safed Mayor Yossi Kakon, alongside a delegation from the Ministry of Health led by Health Minister Uriel Menachem Buso, visited SPHERE headquarters in Safed. The delegation included Prof. Emad Habous, Advisor to the Minister for the Arab Society, Dr. Maya Butara, Ministry of Health’s North District physician, Shani Barzilai, Head of nutrition Ministry of health's Northern District and Dr. Nour Abdelhadi, Head of the implementation of government resolution 550 for the Arab Society, Ministry of Health.

This significant gathering also welcomed key figures from the healthcare and emergency services the region, including Prof. Salman Zarka, Director of Ziv Medical Center in Safed, Elhanan Cohen, Commander of the Eshkol Safed MDA station, Oren Avitan, Director of the Jordan region of MDA, Nachi Klein, Chairman of United Hatzalah Galilee branch, and Zvika Labell, Chairperson of Hatzalah in the Galilee.

The visit and discussions with SPHERE Directors, Prof. Naim Shehadeh, Dr. Sivan Spitzer, and Martin Duifhuizen, highlighted the ongoing collaboration between SPHERE and the Ministry of Health, in improving health for 20 municipalities in the Galilee.

Minister Buso expressed his admiration for the SPHERE initiative and urged its expansion nationwide. "I call on all heads of local authorities to establish health units and to adopt the SPHERE model beyond the Galilee," he stated. "Diabetes is not a destiny; it is in our hands, and we can reduce the number of patients who suffer from this disease."

While health systems and government often work in silos, SPHERE stands out as a model of collaboration creating a unique ecosystem that includes partnerships with local authorities, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and HMOs, allowing to comprehensively understand population health.

Prof. Naim Shehadeh "I describe SPHERE's efforts as that of a conductor leading an orchestra, harmonizing all the individual musicians who previously played disjointedly. SPHERE adds significant resources and synchronizes all activities with the aim of closing gaps and improving clinical indicators in the Galilee. With the support of the Minister of Health we will be able to expand SPHERE to the rest of the country."

Dr. Sivan Spitzer adds that "reducing health disparities requires an innovative conceptual model that SPHERE developed and implements. The commitment of the Minister of Health and Ministry officials to reduce gaps and deepen the unique collaboration with SPHERE will help improve health in the social and geographic periphery. We are also proud of our partnership with the municipality of Safed, the city where SPHERE and the Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University are located. We will continue to work together with Safed municipality to improve the health and well-being of the city's residents.”