1-day PrePITstop course delivered in Nigeria

19th September 2019

Anne Goodchild, Author and lead trainer of PITstop, was asked to adapt the 1-day PrePITstop course to suit a Nigerian audience by Dr Abiola Idowu, a GP from Dover, after he attended a course in Kent. After some research, the summer was spent adapting the 1-day key message foundation course to suit a Nigerian audience. Working in partnership with Monitor Healthcare led by Dr Femi Ogunremi, Dr Idowu and Anne delivered the 1-day programme to an audience of doctors, clinical pharmacists and one nurse, in Lagos in August 2019. Dr Akindele Akinlade, the Consultant Diabetologist from Lagos Hospital, delivered the epidemiology session and stayed to observe the entire programme.

Currently, many people are diagnosed after years of living with diabetes, often presenting in crisis (i.e. renal failure or foot ulcers). We now understand this is a multifaceted problem and not a quick fix. Educating a multidisciplinary team of public, private and military healthcare professionals may help change the general population’s health beliefs, but will encourage early diagnosis, the delivery of key lifestyle messages and a basic package of preventative treatment and support. We are hoping a local training team can learn to deliver sections of the course that are deemed valuable, and add to the content to ensure it remains a practical, motivating programme.

The Carbs & Cals World Food book proved to be an invaluable resource and copies stayed in Lagos with interested healthcare professionals. The Trend leaflets on hypoglycaemia and illness management were also shared with delegates.

The course was extremely well received by delegates and the local Consultant Diabetologist. Currently diabetes management is mainly delivered by doctors but after the course Dr Akinlade fed back that he would consider the role nurses could play in the future.