DFSICON 2026 inaugurated by Health Minister U. T. Khader; two AI tools and a book launched
Sri U. T. Khader inaugurates DFSICON 2026 as eight global organisations sign a Joint Declaration on Diabetic Foot Survival & Limb Preservation.
Bengaluru: 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.”
