Medical experts aim to make India diabetes-free by 2030: What does it mean?

Thiruvananthapuram: The medical community in the country is aiming to create a diabetes-free India by 2030, Dr Banshi Saboo, one of the leading diabetologists in the country, said. He explained that the goal is to ensure that no baby born after 2030 gets diabetes in their lifetime. He was speaking on the topic 'Primordial prevention of diabetes' at a session of the 12th edition of Jyotidev's Professional Education Forum Diabetes Update 2024 (JPEF), a three-day global diabetes convention which began at Hotel Udaya Samudra, Kovalam on Friday. Dr Sahoo said that the measures to achieve the 2030 targets include making health science a subject at school level, promoting more sports activities, making healthy food available in schools, ensuring the health of mothers, promoting healthy eating habits, encouraging young people to avoid foods harmful to health, using public transport and promoting daily workouts.

Malnutrition of pregnant women, gestational diabetes, childhood overnutrition, obesity, and lifestyles of adolescents and the elderly are crucial in this regard. He also pointed out that newborns with low weight are more likely to develop metabolic syndromes. More than 1,500 doctors from eight countries are participating in the convention. Nurses, dieticians and educators involved in the treatment and prevention of diabetes are also attending the convention. About 160 prominent doctors and researchers from eight countries are among the speakers and presenters of research papers. Dr Jyotidev Keshavdev, Organizing Secretary of the convention, said the participating doctors will be introduced to the major developments, treatments and technologies that have taken place in the field of diabetes treatment and prevention in the last one year. He said that the results of the research from many of the leading medical colleges and academic hospitals of the country will also be presented in the convention. Important research papers presented at the convention will be published in the International Journal of Diabetes and Technology.