The Diabetic Foot Academy (DFA), endorsed by the Ministry of Health, concluded its latest event in Jeddah recently with a set of practical recommendations jointly agreed by the faculty and participants. Topping the list of recommendations was the need for more public awareness and professional education on the serious complications associated with diabetes to avoid amputations and its devastating effects on patients and their families. The third DFA, the largest event held so far, attracted over 150 medical professionals, including senior surgeons and nurses from the Health Ministry and other GCC hospitals. The comprehensive five-day program was fully accredited by the Saudi Health Council for Medical Specialties and the University of California, San Diego, covering all practical aspects of the pre- and post-surgical treatment of diabetic foot complications. Live surgeries were broadcast to the attendees at the King Fahd General Hospital in Jeddah. The academy concluded with the graduation ceremony and a panel discussion to plan the 4th DFA. The academy was co-chaired by Dr. Khaled Tayeb, consultant diabetologist and endocrinologist, director of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, Al Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, and one of the world's leading experts, Professor Gerit D. Mulder, director of Wound Treatment and Research, professor of surgery and orthopaedics in the Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego USA, which also accredits the DFA program. The DFA faculty comprised eminent medical professionals from Saudi Arabia, the GCC and beyond. Commenting on the recommendations of the DFA, Tayeb, who is the chairman and a member of the DFA's international faculty, said, “I believe that public education, combined with the continuous training of medical professionals, is the key factor in fighting diabetes and reducing its burden on our society. To achieve this, we need to develop a strategic plan involving the ministries of Health, Education, and Information, together with those responsible for the welfare of our youth. I am very optimistic that we will achieve this and the DFA is already playing an important role in the process.” Dr. Mulder, chairman of the DFA, said, “The DFA program started in 2011 as a very constructive collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the University of California and Smith & Nephew with the clear aim of improving awareness about diabetic foot problems amongst heath care professionals in order to help them deliver better care to their patients. To complement this, we also introduced for the first time a special practical teaching program for nurses, who play an essential role in patient care. We believe the DFA is making an impact and there is a need to sustain this continuing medical education program to improve diabetic foot care in Saudi Arabia.” Dr. Nashaat Ghandoura, head of surgical department, consultant general surgery at the King Fahd General Hospital in Jeddah, who has contributed many publications on limb amputations, said, “Saving limbs by reducing the incidence of foot amputations and improving the quality of life for people with diabetes is the most important factor. Educational programs such as the DFA make a real difference and the DFA's recommendations are all very constructive and we believe will help improve the management of diabetic foot ulcers in Saudi Arabia.” While Diabetes is a global pandemic, Saudi Arabia is at the heart of a region with genetic predisposition to metabolic syndrome making its population particularly susceptible to diabetes thus presenting with one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. The World Health Organisation expects the number of diabetes patients in Saudi Arabia to grow 283 percent between 2000 and 2030, due to changes in lifestyle and diet leading to increasing levels of obesity. Saudi Arabia has the second highest rate of diabetes in the GCC, after the UAE. The MENA region has six of the world's top 10 countries by prevalence of diabetes. Complications associated with diabetes can be very serious and the incidence of lower limb injuries and foot ulcers amongst diabetic patients is very high, affecting up to 50 percent of all diabetic patients. Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most common complications and, if left untreated, can result in the amputation of the foot and serious lifestyle challenges for the patient. However, around 85 percent of all diabetic foot amputations are unnecessary and could be avoided with better wound management. Hayfa Salman, project manager for the DFA at Smith & Nephew, said, “We are delighted with the outcomes of this latest Diabetic Foot Academy and the impact the program has on guiding the attendees in their daily clinical practice towards treatment of diabetic foot complications. “The excellent support of the Ministry of Health, the University of California and all the members of the DFA faculty, was key to the success of the program. We anticipate the DFA to continuously strengthen its impact by bringing together a broader medical community to manage the treatment of diabetic foot disease. The DFA is a genuine educational initiative and Smith and Nephew is proud to support this program which makes a real difference to people lives.” The DFA is an educational initiative fully sponsored by Smith & Nephew with a focus on general and specific concepts on the advanced management of lower limb lesions in diabetic patients.
