Diabetes prevention must become national priority as rural India faces growing burden: Dr Jitendra Singh
New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh, on Sunday called for making diabetes prevention a national priority, saying rural India is no longer untouched by the diabetes epidemic and requires a community-led, technology-enabled and data-driven response.
Addressing the inauguration of the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Portal and the launch of VISHWAS, the Diabetes Awareness Video Library, Dr Singh said prevention, early detection, timely intervention and sustained follow-up are essential to reducing the growing burden of diabetes and its complications.
“With more than 70 per cent of India’s population below the age of 40, protecting the health and productive potential of the country’s young population is essential to the vision of India@2047,” he said.
Dr Singh said India has made significant progress in healthcare, scientific research and digital innovation, but the next challenge is to ensure that these advances reach people in rural and underserved areas.
“Rural India is no longer untouched by the diabetes epidemic and that early detection, timely intervention, lifestyle modification and sustained follow-up are essential to reduce the burden of the disease and its complications,” the minister stated.
He said the RSSDI Rural Outreach Programme provides an example of how professional medical societies can complement national health efforts by bringing specialist expertise closer to communities.
Under the initiative, villages are being adopted to create a structured system for diabetes awareness, screening, treatment and long-term follow-up.
The programme has already reached around 30 villages across several states, with further expansion planned in the coming years.
The minister said the newly inaugurated digital portal would strengthen community healthcare by enabling systematic documentation, continuity of patient care, monitoring of outcomes and generation of evidence for future public health strategies.
He said combining community-level healthcare with scientific documentation would generate real-world data from rural India, helping researchers and policymakers better understand disease patterns and develop evidence-based solutions suited to the Indian population.
Calling for greater cooperation among government agencies, academic institutions, technology partners, private organisations and local healthcare workers, Dr Jitendra Singh said diabetes prevention and management required a coordinated approach.
–
