The Canary Islands have launched the fifth edition of the International Trainers and Training Programme for Africa, focused on reducing maternal and infant mortality in Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia. The initiative brings African professionals to the archipelago to receive specialised training in intensive care and maternal care.
This year, seven nurses and midwives are taking part in the theoretical and practical sessions in hospitals in the Canary Islands. After their stay, they will transfer their knowledge to their centres of origin, strengthening the care capacity in regions with limited resources.
The project is funded by the Directorate General for Relations with Africa and has the collaboration of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands Technological Institute and the Insular Materno-Infantil and Doctor Negrín hospitals. Nine university lecturers are participating as trainers.
Since 2020, twenty-five African health workers have been trained through this programme. They include teachers from health schools in Nouakchott, Rosso and Nema, as well as staff working in hospitals in Mauritania and Senegal. This year, for the first time, the Gambia has joined the programme.
The aim is to strengthen the response to obstetric emergencies, neonatal complications and infectious diseases. The training aims to prepare professionals capable of multiplying impact by passing on knowledge to other colleagues.
With this action, the Canary Islands consolidates its role as a platform for international cooperation and is committed to the training of health personnel as a strategy for improving public health in West Africa.
Source: Government of the Canary Islands