India Suffers with Low Awareness about Diabetes

With diabetes turning into a major public health concern in the country, this has now immensely extended to the rural areas also. The increase in the number of diabetic cases is growing in epidemic proportion in the country.

In urban India the rise in the number is caused due to the changing lifestyle, urbanization and genetic inclination. However the change in lifestyle can lead to the diabetes prevention.

Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Centre of Diabetes, Fortis Hospital Delhi said on the increased number of cases that “The problem is set to increase manifold if awareness amongst the masses does not translate into action.” as reported by Deccan Chronicle.

Just 9.6 percent people interviewed in the survey were sure about the hereditary factor that leads to the disease. There are those who still believe in the myth that consuming excess sugar can cause diabetes.

Out of the interviewed 48 percent were not aware of the trend and behavior of the disease in its long course. They were not even informed about the ways to control or prevent it.

About 22 percent of the interviewed people thought diabetes can only be controlled by medical treatment. With this low level of awareness and high level of population affected with diabetes India needs to promote more awareness programme to control the number by promoting prevention and methods to deal with diabetes.

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