Humeira Parvaiz, in her final year of her MSc Podiatry pre-registration course at the ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ’s Eastbourne campus, cut the ribbon for the first stages of developing the Institute of Podiatry in Pakistan where there is a serious problem with diabetes-related foot disorders.
She said: “Pakistan reportedly is ranked 7th in the world in regards to the prevalence of diabetes and 50% of amputations and even deaths could have been avoided if early signs of diabetic problems were detected.”
Humeira, also a qualified dentist and with an MSc in oral medicine, said she was inspired to help launch the podiatry centre after learning there were no specific podiatry services in Pakistan, despite a huge demand: “I decided to initiate a proper institute of podiatry in Pakistan that would allow us to have our own podiatrists who are trained to identify foot problems before they get worst or life threatening.”
Skype meetings with in Rawalpindi culminated in Humeira presenting at the first seminar on podiatry to be held in that country last December. She spoke on podiatry as a profession, the demand in Pakistan, case studies, and the ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ’s MSc Pre Registration podiatry course.