Governor Pulaaliʻi Nikolao Pula recently met with Dr. Kendall Shumway, Dr. Kamlesh Kumar and Tiffany Shumway regarding the Amputation Prevention and Wound Care Training Initiative which recently received $366,000 in TAP/MAP funding through the Department of Interior (DOI).
“This federal investment directly addresses one of our most pressing health challenges,” said Governor Pulaali’i.
“According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, American Samoa has the highest diabetes prevalence among all Pacific Island nations. Preventing complications such as amputations is our ethical duty. This initiative will save lives and preserve the quality of life for our people.”
Alongside this clinical work, the ASG Wellness Hour Initiative, has been launched encouraging all government departments to implement wellness activities every Tuesday and Thursday to promote diabetes prevention among our workforce.
The Governor referred to World Health Organization (WHO) data which shows that approximately 47-50% of women and 40-43% of men aged 25-64 in American Samoa have diabetes, significantly higher than any other Pacific nation.
He said, “This gender disparity, with women affected 7-10 percentage points more than men, highlights the urgent need for targeted intervention programs.”
Since Dr. Kumar established the wound care clinic at LBJ Tropical Medical Center in 2016, there has been a significant reduction in major lower extremity amputations.
A substantial portion of hospital inpatients and surgical workload are diabetes-related.
Dr Kumar who serves as the primary provider for the wound care clinic explained, “Our goal is to identify patients with early neuropathy and intervene before complications progress to amputation.
“This grant allows us to expand our capacity, train more healthcare workers, and reach patients earlier in their disease progression.”
