UAE launches a comprehensive educational program for diabetes healthcare professionals

Abu Dhabi Health Authorities is in corporation with Ministry of Health launching a comprehensive educational program for healthcare professionals working with people with diabetes. The program comes as a collateral effort by the National Diabetes Committee in reaction to the latest diabetes figures that currently face the nation. More than 100 healthcare professionals participated in the launch of the program held in Dubai.

The program named ‘Practical Diabetes’ consists of five independent modules tailored to the specific needs for education and training of healthcare professionals and serve as an extra help to healthcare professionals working with people who have diabetes. First module which is tailored to primary healthcare professionals will enroll in May 2012, other modules includes diabetes education, advanced diabetes, diabetes in hospitals followed by diabetes in special circumstances.

With an initiative of domestic diabetes experts, a team of international and local diabetes healthcare professionals are responsible for the execution of the program. A total of 1200 healthcare professionals from Dubai and Abu Dhabi primarily will participate in the program that will run over a one year period.

As part of the strategy of the National Diabetes Committee, educating healthcare professionals is the cornerstone of diabetes management. Moreover, there is a high level of understanding that through education, healthcare professionals accomplish an understanding of the disease and will improve patient guidance in controlling their glucose blood levels in their daily lives while avoiding long term diabetes related complications.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide that affects over 200 million people in the world. In the UAE, one fifth of the adult populations have diabetes.

“The number of diabetes cases is expected to rise significantly if nothing is done to stop this epidemic. Proper training and education of healthcare professionals is essential to prevent and control diabetes in the UAE. To this end and in recognition of the complexity of the management of diabetes, it is vital that all experts working with people with diabetes are well-educated in the field of their specialty” concluded dr. Salem Beshyah, Sheik Khalifa Medical City and Course Convener for the program.

Additionally information on program can be found on www.practicaldiabetes.ae