Sachin is brand ambassador for Novo Nordisk's diabetes campaign

123 mn Indians will have diabetes by 2035; half of existing 69 mn patients don't even know they have the disease

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk today announced Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassador for the disease awareness campaign 'Changing Diabetes' initiated by it in India.

"With India having the world's largest population of people with diabetes, at Novo Nordisk our efforts have been focussed on raising awareness of diabetes and its impact on the lives of people affected by it, their families, society and eventually the country at large," Melvin Oscar D'souza, managing director of Novo Nordisk India Private Limited said.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Sachin Tendulkar advised people to hit the gym or go for a long walk to keep away from diabetes.

In India 69.2 million people have diabetes and by 2035, it is estimated that 123.5 million people will have diabetes. The alarming fact is that almost half of the existing diabetes patients are unaware that they have diabetes, according to the company.

Novo Nordisk Corporate Vice President Mads Bo Larsen said about 2 per cent of the gross national product (GDP) gets impacted by diabetes disease. The company, which is the leading global insulin maker, is providing free diabetes treatment and education to 4,000 children, who have been suffering from Type-2 diabetes, in India.

"I am glad to be a part of the Changing Diabetes movement in India spearheaded by Novo Nordisk. Diabetes is a growing concern not jut in India but the world over. For people with diabetes leading a healthy and active life is possible, all it needs is awareness and early action. You can choose to control diabetes before it controls you," Tendulkar said.