Brunei Launches BALANCE Program for Digital Diabetes Management
Bandar Seri Begawan, Tuesday, 9 December 2025.
Brunei’s BALANCE program offers a 16-week digital intervention via BruHealth to manage Type 2 Diabetes, aiming for a 0.6% reduction in glycated hemoglobin.
Introduction to the BALANCE Program
Brunei Darussalam has introduced the BALANCE program, a digital therapeutic initiative designed to enhance self-management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Utilizing the national mobile health platform, BruHealth, the program features a 16-week digital lifestyle intervention aimed at empowering patients through accessible health data and professional coaching. This innovative approach addresses the rising prevalence of diabetes in Brunei, where it is a leading health concern, and seeks to reduce complications and healthcare costs associated with the disease [1].
Program Implementation and Objectives
The BALANCE program incorporates a comprehensive digital lifestyle intervention integrated within the BruHealth app. The primary objective is to achieve at least a 0.6% reduction in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels over a 16-week period. Secondary objectives include evaluating changes in fasting lipid profiles, blood glucose levels, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference. This initiative is significant as it is Brunei’s first national-scale digital intervention for managing T2DM [1][2].
Methodology and Participant Engagement
The study involves a single-arm, nonrandomized intervention with 459 participants aged 18 to 70 years. Each participant engages in a fully online program through the BruHealth platform, receiving diabetes self-management education, personalized diet and exercise plans, and support from health coaches via video consultations and instant messaging. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements are collected at baseline and after the intervention, with data analyzed to assess the efficacy of the digital lifestyle interventions [1][2][3].
Anticipated Outcomes and Broader Implications
The BALANCE program, set against the backdrop of rising diabetes rates in Brunei, aims to not only improve individual health outcomes but also reduce healthcare costs by minimizing diabetes-related complications. With 91.9% of participants completing the program by November 2025, data analysis is ongoing, and results are expected in early 2026. This initiative underscores the potential of mobile health applications in chronic disease management, particularly in enhancing patient engagement and self-management in culturally contextualized settings [1][3][4].