Reports have shown that Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence is rapidly increasing in India. India is currently home to 50.8 million i.e. 23 per cent of the global population living with diabetes. Experts have suggested that this number is likely to increase to 80 million by 2030.
Researchers have pointed out that early onset of Type 2 diabetes mellitus is mainly due to increasing obesity and insulin resistance- factors arising out of sedentary lifestyle and improper dietary intake. Keeping in mind these factors and with an aim to curb the increasing cases of diabetes in the country the project has been launched.
The project will be headed by Padma Shri Prof. Anoop Misra, chairman, N-DOC. Under the project more than 500,000 school children (aged 10 and above) of 50 cities across India are going to be educated over a period of 18 months i.e from July 2011-December 2012.
A total of 500 schools are being targeted for the awareness programme. Innovative and locally appropriate education strategies would be used to spread the awareness about diabetes and obesity. Moreover some 200,000 adults and paramedical workers will also be educated under the project.
