We were then asked to build on this support by extending the training to additional sites and to support training for the diabetes patient group. It was recognised that diabetes patients were a high-risk group for Covid-19 and that this was a good opportunity to work with Congolese colleagues to deliver patient education and peer to peer support.
Multidisciplinary groups from across King’s Health Partners – including the King’s Institute for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity, King’s College London, the King’s College Hospital Diabetic Foot Clinic and the South West London Health & Care partnership – provide world-class and innovate care. This expertise and experience was harnessed to prepare a context-appropriate, one-day training session for patients living with diabetes in the Kongo Central province. UK clinicians, nurses and dieticians worked with Dr Mande, the provincial lead for diabetes, to prepare training materials delivered by clinicians and peer educators, including the medical director of the Kinkanda Hospital, in Matadi. The one-day programme covered nutrition and self-care for optimal diabetes management, as well as Covid-19 prevention and simple management. Participants also received training in how to share their new knowledge and skills with other patients.