Medical students to benefit from E-learning

Medical students from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will benefit from an E-learning programme sponsored by the German-based pharmaceutical giant, Merck.

The five-year capacity advancement programme that aims to improve treatment and care of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension is in its second phase.

It will provide European accredited clinical diabetes management course to various universities in East Africa through E-learning.

In Kenya, the programme is set to begin in September 2014 and will involve medical students from the University of Nairobi.

In Uganda and Namibia the course will be provided to medical students of Makerere University and the University of Namibia respectively.

“The University of Nairobi is ready to support initiatives such as Merck’s Capacity Advancement Program and associate with other institutions whose overall objectives and goals are directed towards alleviating challenges in the provision of healthcare especially for emerging diseases such as Diabetes,” Professor Isaac Kibwage, Principal of the College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi said.

NAOROBI OFFICE

Merck has already set up an office in Nairobi with the aim of increasing its presence in the East African pharmaceutical market and reinforcing its interest in Africa.

At the end of September 2014, a similar course focusing on diabetes and hypertension will be offered in Portuguese by international and local professors to medical students at University Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique and Katyavala Bwila University in Angola.

The course will commence in Tanzania in November 2014 and will be taught to medical students of Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science before being launched at the University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.

However, Merck said every healthcare provider in the mentioned countries and the rest of Africa will have free access to all the lectures on their website www.managediabetesonline.org.

“Merck is supporting E-health which can definitely contribute to bringing healthcare to unserved or underserved populations and increasing the effectiveness and reducing the costs of healthcare delivery.

PUBLIC HEALTH

It will also assist in improving the effectiveness of public health programmes and research, preventing illness and managing and treating chronic diseases,” Dr Stefan Oschmann, Merck Pharma CEO said.

Dr Oschmann expressed confidence that the E-learning platform for the diabetes educational program will improve access to innovative and high quality healthcare solutions and disease awareness in Africa.

Rasha Kelej, the head of Global Market Development and Business Responsibility of Merck Serono said the power of mobile and Internet technologies will be used to share information via SMS texts or dedicated website to healthcare providers and the general public across Africa especially in rural areas.

It will also help increase access to training and education and raise awareness on the issues of diabetes.

This year, Merck aims to reach 2,000 students and rural healthcare providers, who will also become diabetes ambassadors in the continent.

Merck Capacity Advancement Program aims to reach at least 9,000 students by 2018, with information on how to better diagnose, manage and prevent the deadly silent disease.

In 2015, the programme will be extended to more universities mainly in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia and India.