Diabetes Foot Health
Top End | Big Rivers | East Arnhem | Diabetes Foot Project
Established in 2020 as a joint partnership with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute SAMRHI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diabetes-related Foot Complications Program in conjunction with Danila Dilba Health Service, Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Katherine West Health Board and NT Health.
Top End | Big Rivers | East Arnhem | Diabetes Foot Project is led by the Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Sector, and coordinated by AMSANT with key stakeholders including service providers. Based on a baseline report to better understand the determinants, burden and impact of diabetes foot disease as well as the available services, and to identify gaps in the system our Regional Oversight Committee developed an implementation plan to increase access to multi-disciplinary services, enhance service integration to achieve better continuity of care, improve and trial new service models and enhance the existing workforce capacity and capability through addressing skills, knowledge gaps and advocate for additional investment into podiatry, allied health and primary health care.
Empowering people with diabetes and those with or at risk of developing foot complications to maintain healthy feet, recognise foot health risks early and navigate the health system to access timely, appropriate care and appropriate footwear, especially in our remote communities.
We promote and facilitate culturally appropriate care based on the Diabetes Feet Australia 2021, evidenced based guidelines, multi-disciplinary services and improving access to primary care prevention to better manage diabetes-related foot ulcers, infections, nerve damage and circulatory issues, that can lead to lower limb amputations. Advocate and call on the governments to develop standards of care standardised screening, health promotion, medical grade footwear subsidies, and that appropriate footwear be added to Schedule A and deemed an essential item that is required to be stocked in remote community stores.
Yarn with us. We’d love to chat about how we can promote healthy feet in your organisation, school or community.
“It’s hard to enjoy a complete and satisfying life if you’ve had your leg or foot amputated because of diabetic complications … but that’s the story for hundreds of Aboriginal Territorians. Rates of Type 2 diabetes are soaring in the NT yet information and health promotions about its prevention and management are thin on the ground, as too are podiatrists and allied ‘foot care’ professionals”.
Together, we can make a difference to educate, advocate and spread awareness about diabetes-related feet health and disease!
The SAMRHI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diabetes-related Foot Complications Program operates across 5 regions in Australia. In the Northern Territory we have Top End region (that encompasses Big Rivers region and East Arnhem region), as well as the Central Australian region Ingke Arntarnte-areme [Looking After Feet] project coordinated Central Aboriginal CONGRESS. Regional programs are also being delivered in the Kimberley region in Western Australia, Far North Queensland and in South Australia. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diabetes-related Foot Complications Program is funded through the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme (IAHP), a Commonwealth Government initiative.