By IANS,
New Delhi : Awareness is the key to check diabetes, was the message given by over 400 children, some who were themselves suffering from the disease, who participated in a peace march in the capital Friday to mark the World Diabetes Day.
Children from over 20 schools in Delhi walked from Jantar Mantar to the Parliament Street to spread awareness about the disease and highlight the growing trend of diabetes among children in the country.
According to A.K. Jhingan, Chairman, Delhi Diabetes Research Centre: “Diabetes in children is becoming a global public health issue with potentially serious outcomes. Two years back, there were 2,00,000 juvenile diabetics in India. Latest data puts the figure close to 305,000.”
The children also participated in a street play depicting causes and prevention of the disease.
“It is just through changing our eating habits and lifestyle that we can prevent being affected by the disease. I am on a mission to make as many people as I can aware about it,” said Srikant Dubey, a tenth class student of a government school, who is a diabetic.
Diabetes is a growing problem in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), there were an estimated 40 million people with diabetes in India in 2007 and this number is predicted to rise to almost 70 million people by 2025.