The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory and Central Australian Aboriginal Congress have called for greater awareness and investment in foot health to prevent avoidable amputations and improve quality of life for people living with diabetes in the Northern Territory.
Across the Territory, Aboriginal people experience some of the highest rates of diabetes and diabetes‑related foot disease in the world. The NT also has the highest rate of diabetes-related lower‑limb amputation in Australia.
Diabetes Feet Australia estimates that the cost of diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) alone to the health system is $1.6 billion annually.
On Diabetes Feet Day, Wednesday, and ahead of World Diabetes Day - this Friday, AMSANT and Congress launched two new community resources: a foot health promotion brochure and an additional poster to help people living with diabetes look after their feet and reduce preventable amputations.
The resources were launched at the Strong Feet Community Day, a free community event at Tamarind Park in Darwin.
The two organisations are also urging communities, health professionals and policymakers to prioritise prevention; through regular foot checks, early podiatry care, and access to affordable, good-quality footwear in remote communities.
"Foot care, wearing good footwear, and having regular foot checks annually are vital for people living with diabetes," said Podiatrist and Strong Feet Project Coordinator, Frances Elcoate.
Diabetes is the leading cause of lower limb amputation in Australia.
Aboriginal people in Central Australia have among the highest rates of diabetes globally, with Top End Aboriginal people not far behind.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples have a 3-6-fold increased risk of experiencing diabetes foot disease (DFD) and are up to 38 times more likely to undergo a major amputation and 27 times more likely to undergo a minor amputation compared to non-Indigenous Australians. It is estimated that of the 510,000 people living with DFD, 6300 will have a lower-limb amputation each year.
The Northern Territory has the highest rate of diabetes-related lower limb amputation (65 per 100,000 people) in Australia (four times higher than the national average) with people in the NT also being significantly younger than in other jurisdictions.
In response to unmet need, the Ingke Arntarnte-areme (Looking After Feet) program at Congress and the Strong Feet Project coordinated by AMSANT was established in 2020. They form part of the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foot Complications Program, coordinated by the South Australian Health Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care.
The program operates across the Northern Territory, South Australia, the Kimberley region in Western Australia and Far North Queensland.
AMSANT is the peak body for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in the Northern Territory and Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) is one of the largest Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in the Northern Territory.
More information about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diabetes-Related Foot Complications Program is available online.
