Podiatry Week: Why Healthy Feet Matter
October 14, 2025
This Podiatry Week we’re shining a spotlight on our feet, an important part of overall health. We use our feet in almost everything we do and podiatrists play an important role in keeping people moving confidently and pain-free. This year’s theme, ‘From First Steps to Next Steps’, reminds us that podiatrists support people at every stage of life in hospitals, community clinics, aged care, disability services, and in-home care.
The Diabetic Foot and Why It Matters
For people living with diabetes, looking after your feet isn’t just about comfort, it’s about preventing complications that can affect your walking, independence, and overall health. Your feet can be at a greater risk of injury when you have diabetes, because you may lose feeling in your feet which makes it harder to notice cuts and sores. These can lead to infection. You may also have reduced blood flow to your feet, which makes it harder for a cut or sore to heal.
Apunipima’s Approach to Foot Health
At Apunipima we view foot health as community health. Our service delivery model supports people with diabetes and other health issues across remote communities through Aboriginal Health Worker led care, education, foot checks and access to podiatry services.
Apunipima is developing a suite of tailored resources to raise awareness about foot health across Cape York and surrounding communities. These include short videos featuring relatable, light-hearted scenes and clear messages such as “Give bad foot health the boot.” Other materials include posters and brochures designed for display on community noticeboards and digital channels, plus training for clinical staff to strengthen local capacity for foot checks and early intervention.
Available later in 2025, these resources will be distributed through Apunipima’s existing channels so people can access messages wherever they interact with us. The content is aimed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults over 30 living with diabetes and focuses on simple, actionable steps like, keeping feet clean, watching for warning signs and including feet in routine health checks. Local referral pathways and allied health processes will be highlighted to help people find and access podiatry, diabetes education and other allied services in their communities.
For more information about Podiatry Week please visit the Australian Podiatry Association website. If you live in Cape York and are concerned about foot health, please get in touch with your nearest Apunipima Centre.
