UniAbuja to commence diabetes education programme

The University of Abuja has entered into a partnership with Diabetes Africa, a network of health professionals, to establish a top-class educational programme on diabetes education to improve the quality of care offered diabetes patients across Africa.

The partnership, which will also address the dearth of diabetologists and other health care professionals who play a critical role in the study and management of diabetes, would lead to the award of master’s degree in Diabetes Education by the University of Abuja with support from Diabetes Africa in the form of experience, expertise and fundraising.

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The virtual signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which took place simultaneously in the United Kingdom and UniAbuja, was also witnessed online by the Eastern African Diabetes Study group from Kenya, a statement from the varsity said.

Vice Chancellor Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, said at the signing of the memorandum that with the initiative, UniAbuja would be a pacesetter in the programme.

The VC added that the university would ensure that the collaboration brought about the strengthening of health services, especially concerning the treatment of diabetes in the country.

The facilitator of the partnership and Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Professor Felicia Anumah, said it had been the dream of the College of Health Sciences of the university to make an impact in that area by starting a diabetes programme.

She said the programme in diabetes education, which would also have international faculties, would be run on a dual-mode with virtual lectures and clinical which would take place in some identified centres across the country.

The CEO of Diabetes Africa, Dr. Greg Tracz, said people living with diabetes were at high risk of contracting a range of communicable diseases so “we believe strongly in tackling diabetes in all possible ways and the most impactful way to tackle diabetes as early as possible is through education.”