ARABIAN TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Lucknow, November 13: On the occasion of World Diabetes Day on November 14, the Uttar Pradesh chapter of the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) organised a special programme titled “Blue Illumination of Rumi Gate.” Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Brajesh Pathak inaugurated the event at the historic Rumi Gate of Bada Imambara. A large number of people, including doctors, participated in the programme.
The theme of this year’s World Diabetes Day is “Early Action.” Dr Narasimha Sharma, member of the national executive committee and former president of the RSSDI UP chapter, said that diabetes can be reversed and the progression of its complications slowed if the disease is detected in time, people are made aware about lifestyle improvements, and minimal medication is used. He noted that nearly 10.6 crore people in India are living with diabetes, while twice that number are in the pre-diabetic stage. Raising public awareness is therefore critical.
Dr Sharma recalled that the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) observes November 14 every year as World Diabetes Day to spread awareness about the disease and methods to control it. Under the diabetes prevention programme, it has been found that losing just 5 per cent of body weight can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 58 per cent.
RSSDI Joint Secretary Dr Abhishek Arun pointed out that by the time diabetes is diagnosed, complications have often already begun and continue to progress despite the best treatment. “We must screen every individual so that the disease can be detected early and immediate steps taken,” he said.
RSSDI Secretary Dr Ajay Tiwari said treatment approaches for diabetes have evolved significantly in recent years. “It is our ethical responsibility to ensure this knowledge reaches every doctor treating patients.” He appealed to the public to join the global awareness campaign recognised by the International Diabetes Federation. Large public participation, he added, would demonstrate collective commitment to fighting diabetes.
As part of the awareness drive, the historic Rumi Gate was beautifully illuminated in blue light. Governing body member Dr Manoj Srivastava cited an ICMR study published in The Lancet which estimates that at least 136 million people, 15.3 per cent of India’s population, are pre-diabetic. The highest prevalence of diabetes is recorded in Goa (26.4 per cent), Puducherry (26.3 per cent) and Kerala (25.5 per cent), against the national average of 11.4 per cent. The study warns of a sharp rise in states currently showing lower prevalence, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh.
In Uttar Pradesh, diabetes prevalence stands at 4.8 per cent, the lowest in the country, but 18 per cent of the population is pre-diabetic (national average 15.3 per cent). The ratio of diabetes to pre-diabetes patients in the state is approximately 1:3.8, compared with 1:1 in Delhi, 1:1.2 in Maharashtra and 1:1.5 in Haryana. One in every six people with diabetes in the world lives in India.
World Diabetes Day marks the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles Best, discovered insulin in 1922. The day was launched in 1991 by the IDF and the World Health Organization and was later recognised as an official United Nations day in 2006. For the 537 million people worldwide living with diabetes, everyday life remains a continuous challenge.
