The group behind the Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed programme (Desmond) judged Dunedin community nurse Marryllyn Donaldson as the world's best at helping type 2 diabetes patients use the programme.
That put her at the top of a tree that included educators throughout the UK, Australia, and the south of the South Island.
Developed in the UK 12 years ago, Desmond was designed to teach people with type 2 diabetes how best to manage their disease.
Mrs Donaldson, one of seven educators in WellSouth Primary Health Network's 12-strong Desmond team, said she learned yesterday she had won the annual award.
It was the first time a New Zealander had won and was ''a really good recognition of what we've been doing'' in the south where the free programme had been ''very successful'', she said.
While she had won the award as an individual, ''it's based around the whole team''.
Mrs Donaldson was not yet sure what prize came with the win.
