Jumoke Olasunkanmi
Roche Diabetes Care (Roche DC) Nigeria has begun a three-month training for 350 healthcare professionals to promote an integrated approach to diabetes management.
The training is aimed at reducing the number of patients suffering from the disease and other related ones.
Nigeria currently has a diabetes prevalence of 3.7 percent, that is around 3.6 million people, according to the International Diabetes Federation. This leaves a heavy strain on the already flawed public health system.
Roche DC Nigeria’s initiative, according to its product manager, Tosin Akinsulire, is aimed at creating a platform to educate and mentor healthcare professionals across the country, improve access to treatment, as well as increase awareness about the importance of routine blood glucose tests among health workers.
He added that reliance on in-clinic blood glucose testing is not enough to maximise outcomes for patients on a broader scale.
Akinsulire also said the initiative will provide a platform for seasoned experts in the medical field such as Olufemi Fasanmade, who is considered the ‘grandfather of diabetes’ in the country, to share their experiences through interactive sessions and provide guidance and mentorship to the trainees.
He noted that Nigeria has a low record of blood glucose monitoring among people with diabetes, which is why the training will empower 350 healthcare personnel including general practitioners, residents, senior registrars, nurses, endocrinologists, and pharmacists from secondary and tertiary hospitals in the country.
Commenting on the initiative, Olufemi Fasanmade, Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said: “It will equip us as healthcare providers with the skills and understanding we need to implement personalised diabetes care effectively – for the good of more patients in Nigeria and beyond.”
