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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.
Tools, guidelines and training material developed by IDF Africa, the "Cameroon Burden of Diabetes" project and the Diabetes Association of Mali are applied in this project.
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.
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 to date
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A course programme has been developed for training in all six project countries.
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The first two courses were held in Guinea Conakry in April 2008. During the course 81 health care staff from 17 hospitals including three hospitals from Conakry and from 14 regional hospitals of the country were trained.
- The Guinea Conakry Ministry of Health plans to open diabetes units in Labé, Kindia, Mamou, Boké, Fria, Kamsar, Faranah, Kankan, Siguiri and N’zérékoré. The regional diabetes units will be progressively opened over the next two years.
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In Guinea Conakry diabetes awareness spots were broadcasted in the country's number one radio programme, “Grand Dossiers” as well as on the television programme “Invite du Jeudi” watched by more than 3 million viewers. A press conference was held with the national radio as well as the written and electronic press. |
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