Zufiqarali G. Abbas

Dr. Zulfiqarali G. Abbas is a consultant physician, endocrinologist and diabetologist at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where he plays a key role in running the diabetes service, currently the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. He is consultant physician, endocrinologist and diabetologist at Abbas Medical Centre. He completed postgraduate medical training in the United Kingdom and Tanzania, and was awarded an International Fellowship by the CDC in 2002.

Dr. Abbas is the current chair of the Pan-Africa Diabetic Foot Study Group. He is a founder member of the Diabetic Foot Study Group of EASD; Executive Member of International Working Group on International Consensus and Practical Guidelines on the Management and Prevention of the Diabetic Foot; Representative of the Task Force in Implementation on Consensus on diabetic foot in Africa. He is member of several other national and international committees aimed at enhancement of outcomes for diabetic patients with lower limb complications. Dr. Abbas is a founder member of various committees aimed at reducing the morbidity, mortality, and global burden associated with diabetic limb complications, and, at present, sits on the editorial board of several international peer-reviewed journals. He is the founder member to start Step by Step foot project in 2003 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. So far he has been involved in 36 step by step foot project all over the world.

He has published extensively on the epidemiology and clinical importance of diabetic limb complications, and was among the first to characterize the burden, microbiology, and public health implications of diabetic upper and lower limb sepsis in Africa. He has written several book chapters and has edited a pocket book on diabetic foot for health care workers. Of note Dr. Abbas established the largest surveillance system for diabetic limb complications in Africa and has given presentations on the epidemiology and management of diabetic limb complications in both national and international scientific papers. Dr. Abbas has led the country in highlighting the utility and rationale use of microbiology resources in the management of infections in persons with diabetes. He is involved in several on going research projects in the field of internal medicine.