Africa-Press – Mozambique. Portugal began training at least 252 Mozambican doctors today on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes, according to the Portuguese non‐governmental organisation Health4Moz, which coordinates the training.
In a statement, Health4Moz coordinator Carla Rego said that this training includes 160 doctors from Maputo in the south; 55 from Nampula in the north; and 37 from Sofala province in central Mozambique. The programme includes both theoretical and practical sessions in each province.
“We were told, when planning the training, that diabetes is undoubtedly an important area in Mozambique in terms of capacity building. What I can say is that there are three diabetology specialists in the country for almost 35 million inhabitants, and that, without a doubt, diabetes is an increasingly prevalent disease in Mozambique,” said Carla Rego.
The training of these 252 doctors is led by three Portuguese doctors, through a team drawn from the Portuguese Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and the Cooperation Department of the Portuguese Ministry of Health, coordinated by Health4Moz in Mozambique. The goal is to equip Mozambican doctors with skills in diagnosing the disease and using new techniques and tools for treatment.
“Essentially, this training responds to a request made to us by the Order of Physicians of Mozambique, which is aware of the current training needs of medical professionals in the country,” said Carla Rego.
The training plan comprises two phases. The first, delivered via digital platforms, features seven online sessions covering topics primarily related to health and nutrition. It brought together approximately 800 Mozambican health professionals, trained by 12 Portuguese doctors.
Health4Moz is a Portuguese organisation that has cooperated with Mozambique in the health sector since 2013, providing training in various areas for Mozambican health professionals, in collaboration with the Order of Physicians of Mozambique and the country’s health units.
Regarding the training, the president of the Order of Physicians of Mozambique said these sessions aim to improve lives by equipping health professionals with new tools and skills to serve patients better.
“There are many patients who lose their lower limbs, many who lose their vision, and many who lose their kidneys and are forced to undergo haemodialysis. What we know is that the costs of amputation—not only in hospital terms, but also in terms of individual costs, quality of life, family burdens—and for the government, are extremely high,” said Gilberto Manhiça.
This training also aims to help doctors educate diabetic patients and manage the disease, even when other health contition or illnesses are present, Gilberto Manhiça pointed out.
“The purpose of this training is to alert and inform doctors that diabetes is not a disease that necessarily leads to blindness if it is well treated… limbs are not amputated if it is well treated, it is not a disease that will lead to kidney failure. And that is what we need to convey as a message: how we can treat our patients in such a way that they do not go blind, do not lose their kidneys, do not end up with amputation of the lower limbs,” concluded Dr Gilberto Manhiça.
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