Training of diabetes educators

Education of people with diabetes plays a major role in prevention of long-term complications and thus has a significant impact on course and outcome of the disease.

The Diabetes Education Consultative Section of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has developed an internationally accepted Curriculum for Diabetes Health Professional Education for training diabetes educators. The material is particularly relevant for the developing countries, where such training is not available and has been tested in culturally, geographically and socio-economically different regions of the developing world.

Camdodia and Vietnam have been selected as target areas for conducting a two-year training programme of diabetes educators. These countries will act as pilots for expansion of the IDF-inspired methods in the future.

Objective

The aim of the project is to provide training courses for health care professionals in Cambodia and Vietnam in the care, management and education of people with diabetes.

Approach

The project builds on a "train the trainer" approach and has 3 parts:

The first part consists of two 5-days training courses of 25 health care providers per course. The courses will be interactive and based on the IDF curriculum and methods. If required, the material will be modified in accordance with the local cultural needs.

In the second part of the project, each of the 50 participants from the basic courses will be expected to set up a diabetes facility in their local community as well as train 5 other health care professionals in diabetes education, care and management. This part of the project will last for one year and throughout the whole period, the diabetes educators will have a mentor accessible via the Internet.

The third part of the project consists of a 3-day advanced programme one year after the basic courses.

It is expected that the diabetes educators will continue the training of health care staff also after the advanced programme, and in order to improve sustainability of the project, a continued support will be available through the online mentorship arrangement.

Expected impact

• 50 health care providers trained to become trainers for other diabetes educators
• 250 health care providers trained in diabetes education
• Approximately 207,000 people with diabetes have received diabetes education

Project data

Area Partner Project responsible Duration Project budget WDF contribution Project number

Cambodia and Vietnam  IDF - Consultative Section on Diabetes Education  Margaret McGill April 2006 - April 2008 USD 135,400 USD 135,400 WDF05-125