To commemorate World Diabetes Day, the department of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at CMC organised a cycle rally and walkathon for school and college students as well as the public in and around Vellore city on Wednesday.
The rally that started at Ida Scudder School and ended at IMA hall, was aimed at educating, engaging and empowering youth and general public on Diabetes.
Dr Nihal Thomas, HoD, said it is important for the younger population to understand the disease, its risk factors, complications and preventive strategies, as diabetes is an emerging global health issue. The World Diabetes Day-2012 campaign highlighted the urgent need for action to protect the health of our future generations. It is important to educate health professionals, diabetics and people at risk to help reduce the impact of diabetes throughout the world, he added.
The event was expected to inspire and engage local communities to recognise the importance of early awareness of the risks and dangers of diabetes.
The objective was to build awareness among children and young people about the symptoms and risk factors of diabetes, and educate them that type-2 diabetes could be prevented through healthy eating and physical activity.
Collector Sankar, who inaugurated the event, flagged off the cycle rally from Ida Scudder School. The public meeting was held at IMA Hall, in Gandhi Nagar, where aerobic sessions were conducted for audience.
Chief traffic warden Dr Ikram and SP Eswaran spoke on the importance of diabetes and its relevance to the younger generation.
A type-1 diabetes patient, Omprakash, shared his experiences and struggles, as a diabetic.