Dear Editor,
14th November was celebrated as world diabetes day to mark the Birth Anniversary of Frederick Bonting, who along with Charles Best, conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1921.
As many as 382 million people are living with diabetes worldwide. By 2035, the figure will reach 592 million or one person in 10 will be having diabetes. A further 316 million people are currently at high risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Among the top 10 countries for the number of people with diabetes (20-79 years), India ranks second with 65.1 million people suffering from the deadly disease. These alarming figures call for urgent action. Diabetes education is of paramount importance to take informed decisions, make behavioural changes and address the psycho-social issues presented by the silent killer disease.
R. C Dhand
via-e-mail