International Podiatry Medical Association (IPMA) is committed to saving diabetic feet in Pakistan.
According to a recent survey in Pakistan , 35 million to 37.5 million people above 20 have type 2 Diabetes. Experts believe that this number could reach 15 to 20 percent of the population by 2040,
Foot disease is considered to be one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus and diabetic foot refers to a wide spectrum of disease. About 20-40% of diabetics are reported to have neuropathy (loss or impaired sensation in the feet) of which almost 50% are likely to develop symptomatic peripheral vascular disease within twenty years of diagnosis. The lifetime prevalence of foot ulceration is about 15% while diabetes is an important non-traumatic cause of major amputations of the lower limbs. Diabetic foot ulcers are contributed by sensory, motor and autonomic neuropathy due to ischemia and infections. These ulcers then tend to acquire a polymicrobial infection including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria besides anaerobic strains and which can ultimately lead to foot amputation.
As many as 150,000 to 200,000 people lose their lower limbs every year in Pakistan due to complications of diabetes and 70 per cent of them die within five years of amputations