A project aiming to raise diabetic foot awareness in Pakistan has provided continuing education courses to clinicians, set up diabetic clinics around the country and has successfully established a number of foot care teams to encourage ongoing education and nationwide participation.

More than seven million people have diabetes in Pakistan and 6-7% experience diabetic foot problems. Previous to the National Diabetes and Diabetic Foot Programme there had been no formal diabetes education in Pakistan. Together with the World Diabetes Foundation, the Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology has begun its ongoing programme to spread information about how to care for diabetes complications.

Thus far, 65 basic foot care clinics have been established and 12 intermediate foot care clinics have been founded, screening approximately 3,000 people for diabetes. Over 88 foot care teams have been trained. Half of these have also received intermediate training for more complicated foot problems. Over 538 clinicians have had extensive training in diabetic foot care, along with over 78 foot care assistants. Diabetes education literature has also been translated into Urdu and over 5,000 people have participated in diabetes public awareness programmes, including charity walks in Sehwan and Karachi.

For more information, click here to visit the Baqai Institute of Diabetology & Endocrinology.

Image: Pakistani doctor. Credit: Department for International Development on Flickr.