About GDFWG
The Gulf Diabetic Foot Working Group (GDFWG) is a non-profit and non-government organization established on 25 December, 2012. Led by expert, multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman, the group is focused on the management and prevention of diabetic foot ulcers.
The GDFWG’s vision is to be a primary, regional, scientific and practical resource that advances the field of diabetic foot care. The group is dedicated to excellence in diabetic foot care through highlighting advancements in the field and sharing evidence-based practices, research and education among GCC diabetic foot care professionals and public communities.
The first Gulf Diabetic Foot Conference was held in Oman in April 2015 under the chairmanship of Dr. Nashaat Ali Ghandoura and Dr. Saud Al Harthi. The second Gulf Diabetic Foot Conference was held in Kuwait in March 2016 and chaired by Dr. Salma Khuraibet. The third Gulf Diabetic Foot Conference will be held in Doha, Qatar on 3 and 4 March, 2017.
The Gulf Diabetic Foot Conference is one of the GDFWG’s major outreach events, with a program that includes general lectures and workshops on classification of foot ulcers, diabetic foot infections, corrective foot surgery, and diabetic neuropathy. Innovations in in-shoe pressure and temperature measurements, offloading diabetic foot wounds, the basics of vascular diagnostics and proper use of lower extremity compression therapy are among the subjects covered.
In addition to organizing the Gulf Diabetic Foot Conference and the Global Diabetic Foot Course, since 2012 the GDFWG has worked hard to diligently share information and education on diabetic foot prevention and management in the GCC region. The working group also launched the first Middle East Diabetic Foot Journal in collaboration with the Wounds International Journal.
The GDFWG Executive Working Committee includes:
Mrs. Mounia Sabasse, Wound and Diabetic Foot Specialist, UAE, Founder and Chairman
Ms. Aisha Saif Almahrizi, Wound and Diabetic Foot Specialist, Oman, Co-Chairman
Dr. Talal K. Talal, Head of Podiatry Section, Qatar, Executive Member
Mrs. Samira Jumah Abdulla, Director of Nursing, Qatar, Executive Member
Dr. Saud Al Harthi, Consultant of Endocrinology, Oman, Executive Member
Dr. Khalifa Al Wahhabi, Vascular Surgeon and Hospital Medical Director, Oman, Executive Member
Dr. Nashaat Ali Ghandoura, Head of Surgical Department and Diabetic Foot Unit, Kuwait, Executive Member
Dr. Salma Khuraibet, Diabetic Foot and Wound Care Specialist, Kuwait, Executive Member
Ms. Layla Hussain Agha, Dietetics and Health Certified Trainer, Kuwait, Executive Member
