The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Rural diabetes project aims at prevention, community participation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 24, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Rural diabetes project aims at prevention, community participation

Staff Reporter

It envisages setting up Diabetic Centre at Sunampet Besides the MDRF, WDF and NAF, the Indian Space research Organisation will also offer support by providing satellite connection for the telemedicine facility

CHENNAI: Despite all the AIDS awareness campaigns, you may not know even one AIDS victim personally, whereas at least two diabetics spring to mind, said Anil Kapur, Vice Chairman of the World Diabetes Foundation, who attended the launch of India's first rural diabetes project by Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) supported by World Diabetes Foundation (WDF), Denmark.

The project is based in Sunampet, Kancheepuram district. V. Mohan, president of MDRF, and Dr M. Rema, vice-president, said that the Sunampet model aimed to be an inter-sectoral foundation that covered health, economy and agriculture that could be replicated in other parts of the country.

As rural India was primarily agricultural, the National Agro Foundation (NAF) will also be part of the project as it already had a firm footing in Sunampet.

Rural population

Though diabetes was seen as an urban phenomenon, Dr Mohan pointed out that as 72 percent of the population lived in rural areas, it could account for a lot of patients. The MDRF project's objective would be carried out over four years in phases.

The primary objectives were prevention and community participation. With an investment of over Rs 5 cr. (Rs 2.2 cr from WDF), it envisaged setting up a Diabetic Centre at Sunampet with adequate facilities to monitor and treat the disease. Phase two would involve forming and training of self-help groups.

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