Health Check-up Scheme for Diabetes Launched

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Gulam Nabi Azad launched urban slum health check-up scheme for diabetes and blood pressure on 14th November 2010, the World Diabetes Day. The slum health check up scheme for diabetes has been introduced in six cities namely Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

The Union government will offer the test kit, including the glucometers for the scheme while the states will supply logistics. The scheme will cover people who are 30 years old or more than that. The health scheme will also target pregnant women.

The Union government has planned to set up 20000 sub centres in 100 districts and slum areas of 30 cities (each city has more than10 lakh population) to implement the scheme.

‘Assessment of Burden on Non-Communicable Diseases, 2006, a report published by the Indian Council of Medical Research, estimated the number of people suffering from diabetes in India in 2004 at 37.77 million, which includes 21.40 million in urban areas. The report held sedentary lifestyle, obesity and unhealthy diet as the main reasons behind the increasing number of Diabetes.

Important Information
•    Diabetes Education and Prevention is the World Diabetes Day theme for the period 2009-2013.
•    Diabetes causes 5% of all deaths happening worldwide.
•    80% of diabetes patients live in low and middle income countries.
•    Most of the people with diabetes in low and middle income countries are middle-aged (45 to 65 years).