The project seeks to address the lack of qualified health care professionals in the area of diabetes in low- and middle-income countries.The project aims to build capacity in the area of diabetes in low- and middle-income countries and to identify local champions.
The fellowship project, including the selection process, is run by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).The project focuses on enabling young healthcare professionals from less developed countries to receive specialised training in the area of diabetes for a period of up to six months.Emphasising South/South collaboration, the training granted to the fellows should take place in their geographical region; for instance, Ghana to South Africa or Bangladesh to India.Before proceeding with training, the selected candidates are asked to describe how they expect to apply their new knowledge in their home countries upon completion of the training. This information is then followed up through a questionnaire six months - 1 year after return from the training. The information gathered helps IDF and WDF assess the impact and sustainability of the fellowships.Following implementation of the 1-year pilot phase (2003-2004), the project was extended for two years with an additional allocation of EUR 80,000.
• Four doctors from developing countries have received diabetes care training.