Diabetes-related Foot Disease in the Western Pacific: Foot Burdens, Care and Strategies Across the Region

Abstract

Diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) is the leading contributor to the global diabetes disease burden. The largest DFD burden in the world is in the Western Pacific region. The Western Pacific is one of the most diverse global regions in the world, comprising around 2.2 billion people, 37 countries, and many different ethnicities, national incomes and geographies spread across three sub-regions: East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. To address such a large DFD burden it is critical to better understand the DFD burdens, care and strategies occurring across the region. We reviewed the burdens, current care, and future strategies for DFD in countries of the Western Pacific, and found the region had comparatively high DFD rates but lower amputation rates. Countries and sub-regions with lower rates tended to have better current DFD care and future strategies. We proposed eight key recommendations to reduce the largest DFD burden in the world.