The Impact of Initiation of an Educational and Preventive Foot Care Center for Subjects with Diabetes in Alexandria, Egypt (ST07-004)

Main institution:
Rotary International, Alexandria Western Club (Egypt)

Principal investigator:
Professor Samir Assaad Khalil

Location of the project:
Egypt

Amount allocated:
USD 62,791

Date:
April 1, 2008 - December 31, 2010

Objectives:
The number of people with diabetes is rapidly increasing. The feet of many of these people will be at risk of ulceration. It has been found that foot ulcers precede 85% of non-traumatic amputations in people with diabetes. It is essential that podiatry services, which are almost absent in Egypt, should be urgently initiated to cope with the rapidly increasing prevalence of diabetes and its complications affecting a great number of Egyptians. They require a specific centre that cares for their feet, education besides the orientation and formation of interested HCP's to undertake these services. This concept would reduce the rate of amputations.

Impact of the project:

• More than 8 universities in Egypt are now initiating centers for foot care
• Awareness in the media and general population (TV, radio, press and magazines)
• Awareness propagated to other countries like in Bahrain
• Foot care for diabetics has been introduced as a part of the undergraduate and post graduate curriculum in most medical schools in Egypt
• Training of 15 physicians and 12 nurses
• Lectures to increase the awareness of HCPs (2700 professionals nationwide) . Education of about 3600 patients
• Medical and foot examination for 2600 patients
• Initiation of a regional registry

Abstract/Poster:

• 20th World Diabetes Congress, Montreal, October 2009

Presentations:

• 21st World Diabetes Congress, Dubai, December 2011 (invited speaker)
• 49 EASD, Barcelona, September 2013 (DESG symposium)

Publications:

• One booklet in arabic on diabetes foot distributed locally
• Journal of the Egyptian Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism (2009 and 2010)

*Project completed January 2011

BRIDGES (Bringing Research in Diabetes to Global Environments and Systems) is a programme initiated by the International Diabetes Federation, and supported by an educational grant from Lilly Diabetes.