Ten Agencies Launch National Campaign to Reduce Amputation Rate
November Campaign Targets People With Diabetes

Washington, D.C. -- During November, Diabetes Month, 10 public and private agencies are launching "Feet Can Last a Lifetime," a foot care awareness campaign to reduce the number of amputations among people with diabetes. More than 54,000 diabetes-related amputations are performed in the United States each year. Costing as much as $40,000 each, more than half of these amputations could have been prevented with proper foot care.
Many amputations are the result of nerve disease, a serious problem for many Americans with diabetes. Because nerve disease often leads to lost sensation in the feet, people with diabetes feel no pain when they injure a foot or toe. As a result, a minor injury can become infected and, without proper treatment, can lead to amputation.
"Health care providers nationwide can use the message from this campaign to help people with diabetes lead healthy, active lives and reduce their chances of serious foot-related complications, such as amputation," said Marilyn H. Gaston, assistant surgeon general and director of the Health Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Primary Health Care.
Many of the 10 partner agencies will sponsor workshops in November to teach people with diabetes how to take care of their feet. Some agencies will also hold workshops to teach health care professionals how to identify people with diabetes who have lost sensation and are therefore at risk for developing foot problems that may lead to amputation.
One hundred and seventy-two veterans hospitals across the country will offer similar workshops to mark Veterans Day. Diabetes is a major health problem among veterans, accounting for an estimated 9,000 amputations annually at a cost of about $341 million per year.
"Foot ulcers and other foot problems that can lead to amputation are a major cause of serious infection, death and disability for our aging veterans suffering from diabetes and nerve disease," said Dr. Martin Mussman, national program director of VA Podiatry Services. "Our goal is to reduce the incidence of lower extremity amputation to meet the health initiatives set by the Federal government."
The public and private agencies participating in this national awareness campaign include: American Association of Diabetes Educators; American Diabetes Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; California College of Podiatric Medicine; Department of Veterans Affairs; Health Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Primary Health Care -- the Carville approach; Indian Health Service; Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; and Pedorthic Footwear Association.
"I feel confident that this coordinated educational effort will help people with diabetes prevent disabling amputations and, in turn, improve their quality of life, " said Kris Ernst, president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.