KUWAIT, 17th of May 2018:   Kuwait Diabetes Society (KDS) along with the leading pharmaceutical company Pfizer have successfully completed the first milestone in the hospital outreach program to detect early signs of the life-changing condition Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) nerve disease in patients with diabetes. 

 

Highly-trained medical staff, stationed at “Qadam Bela Alam” booth in Mubarak EL Kabeer hospital the first hospital to embrace the campaign, and were there to welcome diabetics and their relatives, to educate them about DPN, run the screening DN4 questionnaire to check for their feet and connect them with a full support network on social media which reached more than 1000 followers to educate them if they are diabetic with DPN or to aware them how to avoid if they are not. 

 

 The Nurse has taken the patients to a comprehensive journey to take care of their feet. Starting from spotting the disease through the DN4 Questionnaire, then educating them about both the risk of getting DPN, how to prevent and the management of the disease and finally connecting them to a first of a kind social community in Kuwait that supports diabetes patients to take care of their feet. The patients were recommended to consult their physicians and modify their lifestyle to help manage their condition along with medications and continued support.

 

The recommended lifestyle changes include quitting smoking, significantly reducing sugar intake and exercising regularly. Patients were also encouraged to share their experiences and join a social network with experts and fellow patients on the best ways to deal with the condition.

 

The staff screened almost 500 people in less than 30 days. 83 % of which were diabetics who have not previously been diagnosed with DPN, almost 50 % of them got to know that they might be suffering from the disease only through “Qadam Bela Alam”!  Surprisingly, 25% of which were below 50 years! 

 

Since Kuwait has more than 399,000 diabetics and a DPN prevalence rate of 39 per cent, there is a pressing need to tackle DPN in Kuwait, engage with its people and raise awareness of the serious consequences caused by foot complications without prior warning symptoms. 

Hence, this activation was a major step in “Qadam Bela Alam” campaign!

 

“Qadam Bela Alam” stresses on the need for diabetic patients to understand that diabetic foot problems are often caused by nerve damage and they should visit their doctor regularly for check- ups even if their feet aren’t showing any symptoms. The campaign stresses that, while keeping glucose levels within the normal range is important, it is only one step in the fight against DPN nerve disease. Warning signs and symptoms of DPN nerve damage include tingling, burning or prickling sensations in the limbs, sharp pains or cramps in the legs, extreme sensitivity to touch, and loss of balance. 

 

“Steps we take today can protect the steps of tomorrow, and the hospital outreach program is a crucial first step on that journey. We commend the medical team for their expert work and ability to engage with the patients and it is encouraging to see the patients embracing the need for action,” said Dr. Walid El Dahi, head of KDS. 

 

“This is the first “Qadam Bela Alam” activation and looking for the more coming soon. I would like to thank all our partners joining hands in this campaign starting with Dr. Nadia Jumaa’ and the Management team at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, the leading pharmaceutical company Pfizer and our media partners Al Anbaa and Al Jaridaa newspapers”, he added.

 

Dr. Nadia Jumaa’, the Manager of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, said: “This was a successful initiative and Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital was proud to play the leading role in facilitating this level of support for diabetic patients. “Qadam Bela Alam” is a crucial nationwide campaign that strengthens the relationship between physicians and patients and increases the awareness and knowledge levels of society.”

 

In addition to the outreach program, “Qadam Bela Alam” campaign is calling diabetics and their relatives to join its community on social media, support the cause of the campaign and raise awareness to save diabetics foot around us. For more information, visit the campaign social media profiles: