The Diabetes India Task Force, with its objective to spread awareness of diabetes and increase the capacity of the healthcare system to reach out to as many diabetics as possible, is trying to reach out to maximum possible number of physicians irrespective of the system of medicine they practice.
The task force has been formed by a group of around 300 practising doctors with a great interest in diabetes and has an international advisory board consisting of members of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation. The NGO is in the process of distributing 50,000 to 60,000 books among family physicians (of all systems of medicines across the country) to help their patients manage diabetes.
India, estimated to have over 37 million diabetics, is acutely short of the required number of physicians to advise diabetics on proper care and allow for a longer life without serious health issues.
Prevalence of the disease is more common in the south and western parts of the country. Diabetes India claims its aim is to have an ongoing interaction and inputs between “all of us (physicians treating diabetics) to help our people with diabetes between all the associations who can help each other”.
Diabetes, with its attendant acute and long term complications, and the numerous disorders associated with it, is a major health hazard. In keeping with the scenario in most developing countries, India has long passed the stage of being a country where diabetes has reached epidemic proportions. The problem has now reached, in scientific language, “pandemic” proportions. This number is now a very large public health problem, growing astronomically year-on-year.
More than a matter of individual health and well being, the pandemic calls for an effort in which attention must be paid not only to treating a patient with diabetes.
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It involves a collective response which includes the setting up of a complete infrastructure which involves attention to prevention as well as making diabetes care ‘available, accessible and affordable’ to all diabetics.
The patient and the family physician must take control of the disorder. “But, control comes with power and power comes with knowledge,” said Dr Shaukat M Sadikot, vice-president of the International Diabetes Federation and president of DiabetesIndia. According to Dr Sadikot, diabetes is now a very large health problem and no longer associated with Individuals.