Access to Healthcare signs contract with World Diabetes Foundation for new healthcare project in India

Coloplast's donation programme Access to Healthcare just signed a contract with the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) about a new healthcare project in India. The project aims to improve the treatment of diabetic wounds.

"Every single day, 110 Indians have a foot or part of their leg amputated due to diabetic foot ulcers, and an unknown number die before they are even diagnosed," says Per Ole Nielsen, Project Manager of Access to Healthcare.

Training in diagnosis and care of diabetic wounds is essential to reduce this figure.

"With the right knowledge, treatment may be deployed rapidly and the wound may heal in time, avoiding an amputation -- that is why education projects like this are so important," says Dr. Arun Bal, Founder President of the Diabetic Foot Society of India, who as local partner applied for support to drive the project.

Dr. Anil Kapur, Managing Director of the World Diabetes Foundation and Chairman of the Access to Health Care Donation Board agrees.

"It only costs three US dollars to educate a diabetes patient so he will be able take care of his feet and prevent foot ulcers, whereas it costs an estimated 650 dollars to amputate a limb and another 524 dollars for a limb prosthesis. Costs like these put people into lifelong indebtedness," says Anil Kapur. "We are proud to support this project together with Coloplast, and we hope our joint funding will improve the quality of life for poor and disadvantaged people suffering from foot ulcers and foot complications."

As part of the project, the Diabetic Foot Society of India will train 2,280 healthcare professionals in modern wound care treatment supported by Access to Healthcare and the World Diabetes Foundation.

The wound care project is one of three projects that we operate in India. The other two projects are also educational projects -- one about ostomy care and the other about spinal cord injuries (see fact box). All projects are designed to increase doctors' and nurses' knowledge of treatment and care of taboo and neglected diseases within wound, ostomy and continence care.

"Coloplast develops products and services for people with personal and private medical conditions. These conditions are treated well in the western world, but in developing countries, like India, they hardly get any attention. The knowledge level is low, and the consequences for these people are large," says Per Ole Nielsen, Senior Project Manager, Access to Healthcare, Coloplast.