Nearly 19 per cent of Jammu population Diabetic, reveals ICMR-led study

Srinagar: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also a nationally renowned Diabetologist recently released the Jammu-related data of the 'first of its kind' world's largest survey 'ICMR-India Diabetes 'INDIAB' Study to assess the prevalence of Diabetes in India, including Jammu & Kashmir in Jammu.

According to the survey, the overall burden of the disease in Jammu region covering its 10 districts is 18.9 percent, with 26.5 percent in urban areas and 14.5 per cent in rural areas which is higher than the national average.  

Expressing concern over the rising cases of Diabetes in the region, Dr Jitendra Singh called upon everyone, including medical institutions, NGOs and the media to create awareness in the society about the disease in order to prevent and control it before it assumes an alarming proportion. He said the study offers an opportunity for prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). He called for adopting a multi-sectoral approach involving the government, non-governmental agencies, the community at large as well as the individual to slow down or stop the rising tide Diabetes and other NCDs.  

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Describing the ICMR- India Diabetes (INDIAB) nationwide study as landmark, he said its findings will help to estimate the health burden due to Diabetes, prediabetes and metabolic NCD. He added that the study will also help in shifting focus to the prevention and control of Diabetes and other NCDs in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Dr Jitendra Singh further said that the findings of the study are expected to help policymakers, health professionals and stakeholders to develop targeted interventions for prevention and management of Diabetes and other NCDs in Jammu and across India as it was a national responsibility. He also mentioned the need for early detection of the disease as well as the need to break the chain of passing from one generation to another by focussing diabetic pregnant women.

The Union Minister said that all-out efforts must be made to prevent the youth from falling prey to this preventable disease. Calling the youth architects of a Vikisit Bharat, the Minister said that proper care of their health and well-being must be taken by all the stakeholders. He said that the energy and potential of youngsters cannot be consigned to this silent killer, but must be nurtured and preserved to realise the goal of a developed India by the year 2047.

Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the Government is setting up nearly 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centres all over the country with a focus on prevention and control of NCDs like Diabetes, hypertension and some forms of cancer. The Union Minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with bringing in a preventable healthcare ecosystem in the country, saying prior to COVID pandemic, this concept was alien to India. “Credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra for awakening the nation to the virtues of preventable healthcare, using traditional medicines like Ayurveda and Unani, and practising yoga for health”, the Minister noted.

"It is at the initiative of PM Modi that 1.5 lakh Wellness Centres are to be opened across the country", the Minister said.

Dr Jitendra Singh called for tapping the vast expanse of unexplored Himalayan resources of J&K. He said these resources have a huge potential for making value addition to India’s economy. He expressed happiness at the recent impressive economic growth of India and said that India has now joined the league of top five economies of the world while mentioning that the journey from fragile five to top five economies of the world has been momentous.

Further elaborating Dr Jitendra Singh said if the vast bio resources of J&K are tapped, they will contribute to India’s growth story in the times to come.

According to the ICMR-INDIAB study, 10.8 per cent of the population in Jammu region is affected by prediabetes, emphasizing the urgent need for action against the growing burden of NCDs in the region.

The Jammu phase surveyed 1,520 participants across urban and rural areas, providing critical insights into the region’s health landscape. As per the survey, the overall prevalence of hypertension, generalised obesity and abdominal obesity in Jammu is 27.1 %, 41.7 % and 62.7 % respectively. The study was conducted by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation with the collaboration of ICMR and the Department of Health Research.

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