Eight Global Organisations Sign Joint Declaration in Bengaluru to Make Diabetic Foot a World Health Priority

VMPL
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 3: Eight organisations from four continents today signed a Joint Declaration on  Diabetic Foot Survival and Limb Preservation at DFSICON 2026, the 23rd Annual Conference  of the Diabetic Foot Society of India (DFSI). They also announced their intent to form a Global Alliance for Diabetic Foot Survival and Limb Preservation. 
The signatories are: 
Diabetic Foot Society of India (DFSI), Podiatric Surgeons’ Society, King's College Hospital  Diabetic Foot Unit, London, International Association of Diabetic Foot Surgeons (IADFS),  D-Foot International, Pan-African Diabetic Foot Study Group (PADFSG), American Limb  Preservation Society (ALPS), International Federation of Podiatrists (FIP-IFP).  
The signatories commit to one agenda on diabetic foot disease and its complications:  prevention, early detection, timely referral, multidisciplinary care, limb preservation and  rehabilitation. They also call on governments and the World Health Organization to give the  condition the priority it demands. 

Diabetic foot disease is a leading cause of amputation, disability and early death among  people with diabetes, yet it remains one of the most neglected complications. India, home  to over 100 million people with diabetes, carries a large share of this burden. 
"Every stage of diabetic foot disease, from the numb foot to the amputation, is a chance we  either take or miss," said Prof. V. B. Narayana Murthy, National President, DFSI, who  announced the Alliance. "Today, scientific bodies from across the world have agreed on one  measurable agenda to protect life, limb and dignity." 
Sri U. T. Khader, Hon'ble Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka,  inaugurated the conference. "Karnataka has done a great deal to prevent, screen and treat  diabetic foot disease, and to bring this care closer to people in every district," he said. "No  one in our state should lose a limb to a complication that could have been prevented. We will  keep working with doctors and professional bodies like DFSI until that becomes the norm."
The dignitaries launched two AI-powered tools and released a book: 
- StrideGPT, an AI assistant that answers questions on the diabetic foot for patients  and doctors. 
- Wound360, a mobile app that recognises and assesses wounds from a photograph,  helping clinicians document and track healing. 
A Step Ahead, a coffee table book on footwear and foot health. 
The team behind PRAIAS, a nationwide diabetic foot screening and awareness initiative, was  also felicitated. 
"This conference brings every specialty that touches the diabetic foot into one room," said  Dr. Sanjay Sharma, Organising Secretary, DFSICON 2026."Saving limbs has never been the  work of one discipline, and now it will not be the work of one country either." 
"Technology earns its place only when it reaches the patient," said Dr. Pavan Belehalli,  Organising Treasurer, DFSICON 2026. "StrideGPT and Wound360 put reliable diabetic foot  knowledge and wound assessment in the hands of patients and doctors, wherever they are." 
About DFSICON 2026: 
DFSICON 2026 is being held from 1 to 4 October at Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru, Embassy  Manyata Business Park. It hosts about 700 delegates and more than 120 national and  international faculty working across diabetic foot care. 
www.dfsicon2026.com 
Media contacts 
Dr. Sanjay Sharma 
Organising Secretary, DFSICON 2026 | +91 99807 72658 | info@dfsicon.com 
Dr. Pavan Belehalli 
Organising Treasurer, DFSICON 2026 | +91 99002 65665 | info@dfsicon.com
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