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The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) has a long history of organising innovative clinical postgraduate courses.
In collaboration with the American Diabetes Association and the International Diabetes Federation Africa Region, the EASD is planning to run the first advanced courses on clinical management of diabetes and its complications in Africa.
Objective
The project seeks to improve the understanding and delivery of diabetes care in an area of need, the African continent.
Approach
The project aims to conduct two postgraduate training courses in Africa. The expected venues are Cameroun and Kenya and the courses will be run back-to-back.
Each course will last three days and comprise formal lectures on the management of diabetes and its complications together with interactive workshops. During the workshops exercises concerning techniques of diagnosis and delivery of therapy will be practiced by the participants. Examples include screening for risk of diabetic foot ulceration, diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy, techniques of simple, direct ophtalmoscopy etc.
The training will be led by a group of international faculty members along with African senior diabetes specialists, including Prof. J.C. Mbanya of Cameroun and Dr. K. Ramaiya, IDF-Africa president, Tanzania.
The target audience will be committed diabetologists in training as well as junior consultants and paramedical staff, particularly nurses.
The course is by invitation only.
A maximum of 120 participants are expected to attend each course. This permits for maximum interaction in the parallel workshops as well as giving faculty members and delegates a chance to meet and discuss during evenings and social events.
It is anticipated that the training activities will stimulate interest in diabetes care in Africa with the hope that future postgraduate training courses in the management of diabetes and its complications might be initiated by senior clinicians in the region.
Expected impact
- 240 doctors, nurses and diabetes educators trained on management of diabetes and its complications during two regional advanced training courses
Results to date
- 2 post-graduate diabetes courses conducted in April 2005 in Cameroon and Kenya respectively with participation from 33 Sub-Saharan countries
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