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Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC), part of Mubadala’s network of healthcare providers and the region’s comprehensive state-of-the-art outpatient facility for diabetes treatment, prevention, education and research, today announced the launch of a free online education programme titled ‘Adult Obesity in Countries of the GCC Region: Why Can’t My Patient Keep the Weight Off?’.
The programme offers online tools and resources to assist physicians and healthcare professionals based in the GCC region in their efforts to inform, educate and coach patients and care providers about the importance of managing obesity in reducing the burden of disease.
Customised to the needs of the region, this programme was developed in collaboration with mdBriefCase, Canada's foremost online continuing professional development (CPD) provider, and a committee of global experts including Dr Mohgah El Sheikh, Consultant Endocrinologist and Diabetologist at ICLDC, Dr. Arya M Sharma, Scientific Director at the Canadian Obesity Network, Prof. Dr. Matthias Blüher, Professor at the University Hospital Leipzig, Germany, Dr. Walmir Coutinho, Director of the Obesity Department at the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology (SBEM), Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Georgia Rigas, Obesity Management Network Chair, Australia and Dr. Sean Wharton, Medical Director of the Wharton Medical Clinic, Canada
The content of the programme is modelled on similar successful continuing professional development programmes deployed in Canada, the US and Australia that have drawn a cumulative participation of more than 4,000 healthcare professionals since their launch in March 2016.
The ‘Adult Obesity in Countries of the GCC Region: Why Can’t My Patient Keep the Weight Off?’ programme has received the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) accreditation from the University of Manitoba in Canada, and complies with ICLDC’s accreditation policies and procedures. Interested participants can register at www.mdbriefcase.net/za/obesity
Obesity is a growing health condition in the GCC region, with over two-thirds of adults and 25 to 40 per cent of children and adolescents estimated to be overweight or obese. The rate of obesity-related comorbidities in the region, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, is among the highest in the world.1
