In August, Chad and Malawi hosted national diabetes training workshops to strengthen local healthcare capacity to improve diabetes care. Organised as part of the International Diabetes Federation–Sanofi Global Health Unit (GHU) Diabetes Training Initiative, the workshops were endorsed by the Ministries of Health and supported locally by the WHO Regional Office for Africa and respective WHO Country Offices.
The one-day workshop in Malawi, held on 8 August, gathered 227 healthcare professionals in Lilongwe to participate in eight case-based sessions led by three national faculty members and an international expert, Prof. Kaushik Ramaiya from Tanzania.
In Chad, a two-day workshop held on 14–15 August brought together 258 healthcare professionals at the Faculty of Medicine in N’Djamena. Over two days, participants benefitted from nine case-based sessions delivered by four national faculty experts.
Both workshops aimed to strengthen the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers in diagnosing, managing and preventing diabetes. The interactive case-based approach provided practical learning tailored to local realities.
The IDF Africa Region currently has the lowest estimated diabetes prevalence among all IDF Regions. However, the projected increase in the number of people with diabetes by 2050 is the highest worldwide. The region is also expected to see the highest rise in impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose, while already having the highest proportion of undiagnosed diabetes. With strengthened skills and knowledge, healthcare providers in Malawi and Chad are now better prepared to tackle the rising burden of diabetes and deliver improved care for people living with the condition.
The IDF–Sanofi GHU Diabetes Training Initiative seeks to train at least 4,000 healthcare professionals in 40 countries through online and in-person training.
