Eight international organisations have unified to establish the Global Alliance for Diabetic Foot Survival and Limb Preservation, seeking to reduce preventable amputations and elevate diabetic foot care on the global health agenda amid alarming mortality rates.
Eight organisations from across the world have launched a new coalition aimed at improving survival and preserving limbs in people with diabetic foot disease, in a move backers say is intended to elevate a long-neglected complication of diabetes on to the global health agenda.
The Global Alliance for Diabetic Foot Survival and Limb Preservation was announced at the Diabetic Foot Society of India’s national conference in Bengaluru on Friday. Its founding members are the Diabetic Foot Society of India, King’s College London, the International Association of Diabetic Foot Surgeons, D-Foot International, the Pan African Diabetic Foot Study Group, the American Limb Preservation Society, the International Federation of Podiatrists and the Podiatric Surgeons’ Society.
The coalition is being formed against the backdrop of a substantial international disease burden. A 2023 systematic review published in JAMA and cited in the alliance proposal estimated that diabetic foot ulceration affects about 18.6 million people worldwide each year. The same review found a five-year mortality rate of roughly 30% after a diabetic foot ulcer and more than 70% after a major amputation. JAMA’s broader overview of diabetic foot ulcers also notes that about one-third of people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer in their lifetime, underlining the scale of the risk.
Alliance organisers said the new framework will focus on research, workforce training, comparable data collection and advocacy with the World Health Organisation and national governments. The proposal also calls for people living with diabetes, as well as those who have experienced ulcers, amputations or disability, to take part in programme design and decision-making. It envisages regional pilot programmes, a shared measurement system and an annual progress report.
The Diabetic Foot Society of India’s scientific committee is expected to serve as the interim secretariat, with a governing council drawn from the founding organisations to oversee strategy, finance and activity. The members are due to meet within 30 days to discuss governance, collaboration, fundraising and implementation.
The alliance’s launch reflects growing concern among specialists that diabetic foot disease is not only common but also costly and often preventable. Diabetes Care has highlighted persistent disparities in access to timely screening and treatment, while clinical references from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information note that recurrence remains high even after initial healing. For campaigners, the new partnership is intended to push diabetic foot disease from a specialist concern to a recognised public health priority.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
