Active Conversations: Rethinking Podiatry Care in Africa (Full recording)

Published by Diabetes Africa. Visit www.diabetesafrica.org for more information. (Scroll down for biographies)

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdowns and curfews established across Africa have forced healthcare professionals to adopt new practices, making for example a greater use of telemedicine and giving more responsibilities to patients. One link of the diabetes chain of care, however, has found it more difficult to adapt to fewer face-to-face consultations: foot care.

Foot complications are common for patients with diabetes in Africa, often leading to amputations, which put an extra economic, physical and psychological burden on patients, families and society. It could be said that podiatry was not a well-understood link of the care chain before the pandemic. With COVID-19, it has become urgent to rethink podiatry care, share good practices, and help design more resilient health care systems, relying on collaboration between well-trained and well-informed healthcare professionals.

How do you care for patients when you cannot see them? How do you improve adherence among isolated patients? How do you train and up-skill healthcare professionals to avoid diabetes foot complications? These are some of the questions that will be discussed in the session, which will provide attendees with an opportunity to listen and react to the experience of national experts who are familiar with the challenges of foot care and have played a part in improving knowledge in their own areas of responsibilities.

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Dr Afokoghene Isiavwe
Endocrinologist, Founder of Diabetes Foot Nigeria

Dr Afokoghene Isiavwe is an Endocrinologist & Diabetologist, with over 26 years’ experience in the medical field. She is the founding partner of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre Lagos, a multi-specialty private hospital and a referral centre for diabetes and endocrinology. Dr. Isiavwe coordinated the first Podiatry and Diabetes Foot Care Conference in Nigeria and introduced diabetes foot care education to healthcare workers in Nigeria. She is a founding member of Diabetes Foot Nigeria.

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Tshidi Mbonani
Senior Podiatrist, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital

Malehlohonolo Tshidi Mbonani is a qualified podiatrist with a B-tech degree from the University of Johannesburg. She has extensive experience in general podiatric care, management of diabetic foot complications and wound care. Serving as Chairperson of the Wound Care Committee at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the largest hospital in South Africa, Tshidi provides specialised advice on wound care and diabetic foot as well as professional training to healthcare workers and other podiatrists.

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Simiso Ntuli
Head of Department, Podiatry, University of Johannesburg (South Africa)

Simiso Ntuli heads the only Podiatry Department in Africa, at the University of Johannesburg, and practices podiatry part time. He is also the vice-chairperson of the Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Biokinetics Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa and a doctoral candidate. Dr Ntuli has previous experience working in the United Kingdom (NHS Redbridge Primary Care Trust). His focus is on at-risk foot (diabetic and rheumatoid food) and the role of podiatry in public health.

Видео Active Conversations: Rethinking Podiatry Care in Africa (Full recording) канала Diabetes Africa