Background
Diabetes is a chronic lifelong disease that poses challenges to a person’s daily life, emotional well-being and perceived quality of life. It increases one’s risk of developing long term complications and resulting in early death.
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 463 million people had diabetes globally in 2019 and this figure is set to rise to 700 million by 2045.The concern is that 80% of this expected increase will occur in middle and low income countries like Nigeria. In Africa, 19 million people had diabetes in 2019, and this is expected to increase to 47 million by 2045. Nigeria is the 3rd most affected country in the African sub-region after South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Health professionals are accountable to people with diabetes to provide current and necessary knowledge and skills needed for them to manage their diabetes and achieve positive health outcomes. Education influences the quality of life of a person and can make a difference between life and death. In order to effectively teach others, health professionals must have sound knowledge, skills and competence at an advanced level. Therefore diabetes education is a specialty
In developing countries especially in Nigeria, health professionals are hardly prepared in diabetes education and management. The number of health professionals who demonstrate a solid understanding of the principles of diabetes care and education is grossly inadequate to meet the needs.
Administrators and providers have to recognize the integral part diabetes education plays in the management of diabetes; that every diabetes care intervention is an educative process and that specific education is required to enable health professionals to be effective diabetes educators.
Improved quality of care reduces personal, societal and economic burden of diabetes promotes quality of life and improves health outcomes for individuals with diabetes, their relatives, communities and society at large. Thus, it is when we have large numbers of diabetes-aware, skilled health professionals, will we be able to face the demand of the global diabetes epidemic.
The aim
The aim of this programme is to enhance the knowledge and skills of health professionals, to become certified to provide best practices, effective care and self- management education for people with diabetes and their families.
The goal
The goal of diabetes education and management is to reduce the personal, societal and economic burden of diabetes, promote quality of life and to improve health outcomes for individuals with diabetes, their relatives, communities and society. This is compatible with that of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
Objectives
To promote high-quality education for health professionals in diabetes care
Improve the overall quality of care and thus improve the lives of those at risk of or living with diabetes and their caregivers
Promote the access to and integration of health professionals qualified in diabetes care and support into health care systems
Promote the essential role of diabetes education and multi-disciplinary diabetes care teams to ministries of health, hospital authorities and policy makers