Study finds prevalence of diabetes in urban, rural areas

A study conducted in four regions of the country to determine the prevelance of Type-2 diabetes and pre-diabetes has found that there is prevelance of the disease in both rural and urban areas.
Health Minister J P Nadda in a written reply in Rajya Sabha said that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has completed the phase I of task force project - ICMR-India Diabetes (INDIAB) Study-Phase-I.
"In the first phase of the study, the rural and urban settings in Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Chandigarh have been included.
"The adjusted prevalence of diabetes (both known and newly diagnosed) in Tamil Nadu was 10.4 percent, Jharkhand 5.3 per cent, Chandigarh 13.6 per cent and Maharashtra 8.4 per cent. The prevalence of pre-diabetes was 8.3 per cent, 8.1 per cent, 14.6 per cent and 12.8 per cent respectively," he said replying to a question on the prevelance of paediatric diabetes in the country.

The aim of the study was to determine the national prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes in India by estimating the state-wise prevalence of the same and also compare the prevalence of Type-2 diabetes and pre-diabetes in urban and rural areas across India.
He said that the government has launched National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) which is implemented for interventions up to district level under the National Health Mission.
The Minister said that data reported during the course of screening of school children under NPCDCS during 11th Plan indicates that out of 93,648 school children screened in the towns of Nainital, Ratlam and Bhilwara, 1,354 (1.45 per cent) were suspected to be diabetic.

NPCDCS focusses on awareness generation for behaviour and lifestyle changes, screening and early diagnosis of persons with high level of risk factors and their referral to higher facilities for appropriate management, he said.