Karachi: A round-the-clock diabetic foot helpline has been launched in Pakistan to provide immediate guidance and referral to millions of people with diabetes developing foot wounds, ulcers and infections, as experts warned that delays in treatment were contributing to nearly 300,000 amputations annually, or around 34 every hour.
The helpline, 0330-6666774, was launched by the Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE) during the three-day International Conference on Diabetes & Diabetic Foot 2026, which concluded in Karachi on Sunday after bringing together Pakistani and international experts in diabetes and diabetic foot management.
BIDE Director Prof Zahid Miyan said more than three million people in Pakistan were living with diabetes-related foot wounds and many amputations could be prevented if patients received appropriate advice, referral and treatment before wounds and infections became severe.
He said the 24/7 service would guide people with diabetes who notice a wound, ulcer, infection, swelling or other warning signs and facilitate their access to appropriate care rather than allowing potentially treatable conditions to deteriorate.
Prof Miyan also announced Pakistan’s first two-year postgraduate diploma dedicated to diabetic foot care, with its first batch scheduled to begin in January 2027. The programme would train healthcare professionals in prevention, early identification and management of diabetic foot disease with a particular focus on preventing avoidable amputations.
International faculty for the programme would include Prof Frances Game of the United Kingdom, Prof Eric Senneville of France, Prof Roberto Anichini of Italy, Prof Zulfiqar G. Abbas of Tanzania and Dr Salma Khuraibet of Kuwait, alongside Pakistani specialists.
Conference organising committee chairman Dr Muhammad Saif Ul Haque said apparently minor foot wounds in people with diabetes could progress to ulcers, serious infections and eventually amputation if treatment was delayed. He said patient education, early intervention and coordinated care involving different specialties could save thousands of limbs and lives.
The scale of the problem was highlighted throughout the conference, with experts estimating that around 18 percent of people with diabetes develop foot ulcers, while diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects around 43.2 percent of Pakistani patients with diabetes. Reduced sensation means patients may remain unaware of cuts, blisters and other injuries until they become infected.
Vascular specialist Dr Fahad Tariq presented data showing that diabetic foot disease was also associated with high mortality. Nearly 30 percent of patients with diabetic foot ulcers die within five years, with mortality rising above 40 percent following minor amputation and above 50 percent after major amputation. Experts said around half of Pakistani patients undergoing diabetes-related amputations die within three years and 70 percent within five years.
International diabetic foot expert Prof Zulfiqar G. Abbas said around 80 percent of people with diabetes worldwide lived in low- and middle-income countries, where resources to manage the disease and its complications remained limited, and stressed education and professional training as key tools for preventing amputations.
Technology also emerged as a major theme during the conference. Dr Suhail Chughtai presented an AI-enabled digital diabetic foot clinic model through which patients could upload wound photographs for artificial intelligence-assisted detection, measurement, risk assessment and monitoring, followed by appropriate referral and specialist care.
Prof Tariq Waseem highlighted the role of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in improving diabetes management, while Prof Qamar Masood said CGM could improve glycaemic control and patients’ awareness of glucose patterns. Dr Somia Iqtedar said continuous monitoring enabled evidence-based treatment decisions instead of guesswork.
Pakistan Endocrine Society President Dr Ali Asghar called for addressing both the physical and mental health dimensions of diabetes. Dr Khurram Daniyal said Karachi alone now had more than 100 dialysis centres, reflecting the growing burden of diabetes-related kidney disease, while Dr Urooj Riaz urged diabetologists to spend adequate time listening to their patients.
The conference was also attended by Prof Javed Akram, Prof Najmul Islam, Prof Jameel Ahmed, Prof Zia Ur Rehman, Prof Bashir A. Soomro, Dr Saima Askari, Prof Iftikhar Ali Shah, Dr Zahid Ali Fahim, Prof Kamal Yousuf, Prof Abdul Rasheed, Dr Nouman Al Qamri, Dr Waryam Saleh, Dr Ammar Pirzada, Dr Fahad Memon, Dr Rizwan Khan and other specialists.