The initiative is taken by the Ministry of Health, medical technology company Smith & Nephew and the University of California, San Diego.

The aim of the five-day road show is to reduce the rate of amputation, thus saving limbs. The Diabetic Foot Academy will have an increased focus on practical solutions to the very serious medical challenges posed by diabetic foot ulcers while building awareness and education among health care professionals.

More than 100 surgeons, nurses and experts, mainly from the Ministry of Health hospitals, will participate in the event. The event will be co-chaired by Dr. Khaled Abdulrahman Tayeb, director of the diabetes and endocrinology center at Al-Nour Specialist Hospital in Makkah, who is also a member of the DFA’s international faculty.

“The fully accredited Diabetic Foot Academy (DFA), organized with the endorsement of the Saudi Health Ministry, will have an important impact on health care professionals. We chose to launch the DFA program in Saudi Arabia because of the prevalence of the disease, but also because of the high quality of health care facilities, the well-trained medical professionals and the excellent support from the Ministry of Health, for which we are very grateful,” said Lys Riachi, managing director of Smith & Nephew in the Middle East.

Diabetes is a disease that can be controlled, but complications can be very serious when they occur. The incidence of lower limb injuries and foot ulcers among diabetic patients is very high, affecting about 50 percent of all diabetic patients. During the event, delegates will learn more about the latest diabetes management techniques with an emphasis on practical case work and live surgical procedures.

“Diabetes is a fast-moving disease, and we all need to work harder to control it. This DFA event shows the development and evolution of the program in Saudi Arabia with greater emphasis on practical treatment and with new elements. It includes a special day devoted to a DFA panel with senior opinion leaders — vascular surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and plastic surgeons — and a day of live patient cases and surgery, including foot amputation, with the generous support of King Fahd General Hospital in Jeddah. We also have the nurses’ day that will focus on wound management, which is such an important aspect of care for diabetes patients. We are delighted to be hosting this new format DFA and the DFA road show with the support of the Ministry of Health,” said Hayfa Salman, project manager for the DFA at Smith & Nephew.

A DFA road show around the Kingdom covering the central and eastern regions has also been planned.