Diabetes awareness in Delhi

Educating young people as advocates for diabetes prevention

To coincide with the theme of World Diabetes Day, ‘Diabetes Education and Prevention’, 4,000 students, parents and teachers in Delhi are expected to participate in walks to raise awareness about diabetes within communities.

The Diabetes Awareness walks have been organised through a collaboration between HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth)-SHAN (Student Health Action Network), a Delhi-based voluntary organisation consisting of professionals from a range of disciplines, and Indo-US Diabetes Coalition, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and CCDC (Centre for Chronic Disease Control). World Diabetes Day is observed on 14 November every year, and so the walks are to take place in the run up to this event during from 9 November to 13 November.

Diabetes is increasingly becoming a major health issue in India for young people. This is particularly apparent in light of the fact that childhood diabetes has tripled in the last 30 years. It is also crucial that awareness of the disease is enhanced from a young age to encourage a healthy lifestyle, thus preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. This is a sentiment held by the Director of HRIDAY- SHAN, Monika Arora:

‘Health education on preventing diabetes has to start early in life when habits are getting etched and the youth need to be empowered to make an informed choice for a healthy lifestyle.’

The walks encourage young people to engage with the problem of diabetes and to become advocates and community activists for diabetes prevention.

For more information on public-engagement efforts focusing on diabetes prevention among the younger generation in India, and for additional information on the walks, please visit the Indo-US Diabetes Coalition website >>

Source: Press release on India PRWire, 10 November 2009.

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