Diabetic foot self-care knowledge and practice among patients with diabetes attending diabetic clinic in the Gambia.

Diabetic foot ulcer is the most common complication causing lots of admissions among diabetic patients. Understanding patients' level of foot self-care knowledge, practice and associated factors is important for planning interventions to control and prevent diabetic foot complications. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and practice of foot self-care among diabetic patients attending diabetic clinics in The Gambia. Two hundred and seventeen patients attending diabetic clinics in two public hospitals were selected using a successive sampling technique. Data were collected using a validated interviewer-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic and clinical data. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with foot self-care knowledge and practice. The findings showed a poor level of foot self-care knowledge (n = 114; 52.5%) and practice (n = 149; 68.7%). Patients' educational level was statistically significantly association with diabetic foot self-care knowledge (p = 0.02). Diabetic foot ulcer history (aOR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.08-0.63; p < 0.001), diabetic hospitalization (aOR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.23-4.75, p = 0.01) and diabetic foot care education (aOR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.39-5.06, p < 0.001) were statistically significantly associated with foot self-care practice. The poor diabetic foot self-care knowledge and practice among these patients emphasize the need for a diabetic health education program in these clinics.

Maintenance Haemodialysis in the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in the Gambia.

Maintenance haemodialysis is the most common form of renal replacement therapy treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa. In spite of this, there is a general inadequacy for patients receiving this form of therapy due to lack of materials, human resources and funding from the governments. This form of treatment is relatively new in the Gambia compared to many West African countries, but there is also an enormous challenge on the part of the government to ensure that the citizens benefit from this form of therapy. Inadequate finances and human resources are making it difficult for the Gambia government to achieve this objective. It is therefore imperative for the state to invest more efforts on preventive strategies, which until today continue to remain inadequate.