Africa: 31 doctors from 9 countries trained in sickle cell disease

19/10/2021

From 8 through 20 November 2021, 31 physicians from nine African countries will follow the sixth presentation of the curriculum for the University Diploma in Sickle Cell Disease by the Sickle Cell Disease Research Centre (CRLD) in Bamako, Mali. The qualification-based course was introduced in 2014 to raise awareness of this disease among doctors and provide them with training to improve patient care in regions where healthcare personnel and resources are scarce.

The University Diploma in Sickle Cell Disease course includes theory and practical elements involving case studies and roundtable discussions. The training staff are lecturers and researchers specialising in the disease and based at universities in France, Mali and the West-African subregion. The curriculum for this degree awarded by the Bamako Faculty of Medicine includes eleven modules on sickle cell disease, including one that specifically addresses patient pain management and relief. The total course volume is 100 hours, composed of 60 hours of theoretical and practical education and 40 hours of personal work.

The 31 participants in this sixth session come from nine countries on the continent (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Niger, Chad, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali). The Government of Monaco’s Department of International Cooperation finances the organisational costs of this training course, while the Foundation funds the participation of doctors from neighbouring countries. Since 2014, more than 160 doctors have completed the curriculum for this university-level degree.

The Sickle Cell Disease Research Centre is a leading international institution, unique in Africa, and the only centre of its size in sub-Saharan Africa to combine treatment, training and research on this genetic disease.

The Fondation Pierre Fabre was instrumental in creating the centre in 2010 in partnership with the Malian government and has since continued to provide the centre with technical and financial support.

The CRLD currently monitors more than 13,000 patients using a holistic patient-care system: from initial screening and consultations to personalised follow-up, care delivery, medication supply and even hospitalisation in the event of a crisis.

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