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Non-communicable diseases training – West Africa

What we are doing

During 2015 the RCP worked with the West African College of Physicians (WACP) on a clinical training project aimed at reducing the rising burden of diabetes, hypertension and obesity in West Africa. The project aimed to increase access to specialist physicians who are equipped to accurately diagnose and manage the treatment of these diseases.

Training started in September and finished at the end of 2015, with RCP volunteers selected for their experience teaching in resource-poor settings delivering:

  • intensive week-long clinical skills courses in Nigeria and Ghana which attracted candidates from across the region
  • 2-week clinical teaching visits to community hospitals in Nigeria and Ghana, which were identified by the WACP as requiring support to strengthen clinical training in NCDs; volunteers addressed specific topics requested in advance by physicians working in the hospitals.

What we have produced

The Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Training Programme was a great success - setting up two high-quality NCD clinical courses in Nigeria and Ghana, and establishing two NCD teaching visit sites each in both countries.