College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) joined together recently to celebrate the cohort of graduates from the Fundamentals of Diabetes Education (FDE) programme. FDE, funded by Qatar Metabolic Institute, is aimed at developing expertise in the field of diabetes education for current healthcare professionals including nurses, nutritionists and pharmacists. 
The programme, introduced in 2014, is the first of its kind in Qatar and was created specifically to meet the needs of the local healthcare professionals by CNA-Q’s School of Helath Sciences and Corporate Services Department. This year, 16 healthcare providers graduated from the 132-hour programme, which consists of interdisciplinary education on all aspects of diabetes management. 
The resounding success of the programme has led the partners to look for further educational opportunities of an Advanced Diploma programme in Diabetes Education offered through CNA-Q. “One of the strategic goals of the Qatar National Diabetes Strategy is to increase awareness of diabetes and to empower patients in the treatment and care of their condition. Over the years, this programme has not only provided healthcare professionals with the tools to change the lives of people with diabetes but helped them to become more confident and skilled practitioners,” said Manal Othman, assistant executive director of Diabetes Education at HMC.
“The important role of offering professional development opportunities for industry professionals is expanding at our college,” said Dr Ken MacLeod, CNA-Q president. “When it comes to something as important as diabetes education, we are proud to be involved and do what we can to work to improve the lives of people in Qatar, as approximately 20% of the population has been diagnosed or is at risk of developing diabetes. We are pleased to help play our part.”