Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Jan 25: Addressing the valedictory function at the conclusion of the 4-day 52nd Annual National Conference of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (PEDICON 2015) as chief guest, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also a nationally renowned Diabetologist, said here today that prevention of diabetes is going to be a major challenge for India during the next one decade and emphasized that the preventive interventions must begin right from childhood in order to halt the rapidly spreading epidemic of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in the country.
Reiterating the “Mantra” that treatment of diabetes must begin before the onset of diabetes, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, many of the factors responsible for occurrence of Type-2 Diabetes at a younger age actually owe their origin to adolescent age. While rising prevalence of obesity, sedentary lifestyle and school age stress can be countered to a large extent by spreading awareness in the society, particularly among parents and families, large spectrum of pharmacological and genetic interventions are also being currently tried for the purpose.
From an era of communicable diseases, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, India has moved into an era of non-communicable diseases, notably the metabolic diseases, including diabetes, coronary heart disease and dyslipidemia to prevent which, India will have to evolve its own indigenous strategies which are peculiar to Indian conditions and the Indian phenotype.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, for a country which has 65% of its population below the age of 35 years and which is acknowledged as perhaps the youngest country in the world, prevention of early age onset of diabetes and its complications is not only a medical responsibility, but also a national responsibility in order to preserve and sustain the huge youth power which is one of the most vital human resources for 21st century India.
The present Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always kept youth high on the priorities of its agenda, said Dr. Jitendra Singh. Sound health of youth, therefore, is a prerequisite to make use of the host of new initiatives and schemes launched by the present Government, he added.
Dr. Heena Gavit, a Physician and the youngest Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha, also spoke on the occasion. Amongst others present were Dr. Krishan Chugh, Dr. Ajay Gambhir, Dr. Satinder Aneja, Dr. Anupam Sachdeva, Dr. N. K. Anand and Dr. A. S. Bhandari.
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