The project aims to train health care personnel from 6 countries in West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Guinea Conakry, Republic of Congo and Togo) and thereby raise the quality of diabetes care provided.
Expected impact
High level diabetes training provided to 400 physicians, senior nurses and allied health care staff from French speaking Africa
Each trained health professional organises at least one dissemination course for 5-10 primary care physicians or primary care nurses in his or her centre or health district
A minimum of 1,300 primary care physicians and primary care nurses will receive training for diabetes care through dissemination courses each year, resulting in 2,600 trained within the project period.
Influencing the care of at least 2 million people with diabetes
The project promotes 3 diabetes care related interventions each year through a project development scheme
Upon completion of the training, local African diabetes champions are expected to strengthen diabetes care and influence health policy within their countries
Results at project completion
A course programme has been developed for training in all six project countries.
451 doctors and nurses were trained. Approximately 3,200 primary care doctors and nurses have been trained through Trainers of Trainers.
Diabetes awareness spots and TV and radio interviews have been broadcasted in connection with the courses in all three countries.
A website has been established for the project to act as a resource base for those trained under the project (http://www.hopitcam.net/).
Project details
The prevalence of diabetes is dramatically increasing in Africa with an estimated 10.4 million people living with diabetes in 2007.
In 2025, the number of people with diabetes in Africa will increase 80% to 18.7 million (IDF Diabetes Atlas). As the continent is going through a rapid epidemiological transition, the burden of diabetes will exceed the resources available for health care in most countries of the region.
Moreover, it is not only the financial means that are lacking; there is a scarcity of trained health care personnel capable to tackle the prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes at all levels of the health care systems.
Sub Saharan African countries are in the process of designing and adopting national diabetes plans that rely on a multi-level system of care. However, most countries lack diabetes specialists and are unable to provide adequate diabetes training to physicians, nurses and other health care staff.
Objective
The project aims to train health care personnel from 6 countries in West Africa and thereby raise the quality of diabetes care provided.
Approach
The 6 participating countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Conakry and Togo, which are all French-speaking countries, selected because of their expressed needs.
Two training courses are conducted in each participating country. The first course - conducted in year 1 of the project -targets physicians. In year 2 a course is held for diabetes-oriented senior dieticians, diabetes senior nurses, and educators.
Each course lasts 5 days with approximately 30-40 participants. A total of 400 health care personnel are expected to be trained over the 2 year project period.
Faculty is primarily drawn from Cameroon but utilises 1-2 local experts where possible. The courses comprise lectures, tutorials, clinical work, group work and country adaptation of the existing tools of diabetes care. Also, participants are guided in the development of diabetes care initiatives in their own settings.
When the project faculty returns to conduct the second training course, they will be available for facilitating new diabetes initiatives from the physicians previously trained.
Upon completion of the training courses, each participant is expected to train a minimum of 5-10 other health care personnel thereby increasing the impact of the project.
Emphasis is placed on promoting networking, international collaboration and encourages the development of new diabetes initiatives. To this end, a web based medical education programme, a website containing training modules and email interaction will ensure networking and continuous education.
