IMA's awareness campaign in India to curb diabetes

With an aim to curb instances of diabetes and its associated complications, the IMA has asked all its state and local branches to conduct screening camps and mass awareness programmes for a month starting from Thursday to create awareness about the disease.

The Indian Medical Association will observe a month-long campaign to mark the 'World Diabetes Day', which is observed on November 14, an IMA official said.

During the campaign, a series of events including diabetic screening camps, mass awareness programs, interactive seminar sessions and poster making competitions in various schools will be held.

There will also be a display of informative posters, banners and placards at key places and blue light illumination of important monuments and institutions across all states.

"The IMA is committed in spreading awareness about diabetes and its complications. India, being the second most populated country, has higher incidence rates of diabetes and associated co-morbidities.

"Four out of five persons are not even aware that they are diabetic and genetically, Indians are four times more likely to develop diabetes. Unfortunately, over 10 lakh Indians lose their lives every year due to complications related to diabetes and its associated diseases," said Dr Rajan Sharma, the National President-Elect of IMA.

The increasing trend of diabetes in India is due to its lack of physical activities, healthy living environment, Dr Sharma said.

Practically, we can say every eight-second, someone around the world dies of diabetes, he said. Diabetes is also known as the mother of a number of diseases. A diabetic is 2-3 times more prone to heart attack and stroke, Sharma said.

The most common diseases due to diabetes are kidney failure, heart diseases, blindness, stroke and amputation due to diabetic foot. In India, about 6 million people are suffering from retinopathy, a major cause of blindness, he said.

"The IMA is already working to promote healthy food habits in the country. All the doctors will be educated about scientific methods of food to control diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. People will also be made aware of the need and method for adopting healthy food.

"IMA policy on good food was adopted by the recent Central Working Committee meeting held at Port Blair. The Policy recommends the food plate method which has vegetables and fruits in one half of the plate and proteins and whole grain in the other," IMA Finance Secretary Dr Ramesh Datta said.