Diabetes foot care - Step by Step

Area Partner Project responsible Duration Project budget/WDF contribution Project number

India/Tanzania Dr. K. Bakker et al. Dr. S. Pendsey/Dr. Abbas November 2003 - January 2008 USD 400,000 WDF03-056

Objective

The project aims to improve diabetic foot care in developing countries.

Expected impact

• Reduction by 50% in amputations resulting from the diabetic foot in target areas
• In India, this implies 3,600 legs saved
• In Tanzania, this implies 600 legs saved

Results at completion

• 115 teams of doctors and nurses have been trained in two day courses in 2004 and given a two day repeat training in 2005. 94 teams came from India, 3 from Bangladesh, 2 from Sri Lanka, 1 from Nepal and 15 from Tanzania. 100 teams were trained in four major cities in India and 14 teams were trained in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

India 

• In 2007, additional foot care training was given to 115 health care professionals in India
• 100 foot care clinics have been established all over India
• A total of 127,761 people with high risk feet have been screened
• A total of 124,399 patients have received foot care education
• 14,216 trivial foot lesions have been treated
• 2,843 limbs have been salvaged
• A donation from Novo Nordisk Germany made it possible to establish an exchange programme involving 14 delegates visiting and receiving training at German diabetes foot care clinics and vice versa

Tanzania

• 14 foot care clinics established, covering 14 regions of Tanzania
• A further 125 medical officers and 176 nurses have been trained on the job by the foot care teams
• 5,540 people with high risk feet have been screened
• A reduction in the rate of lower limb amputations from 9% to 6.5% has been found
• 563 patient education sessions have been conducted

See the educational videos produced by the project. Two versions are available; one aimed at patients and another aimed at health professionals.

Additional information on the project can be found here.

This page was last updated 4-15-2008 by sfh.wdf