BENGALURU: With the aim of controlling the rising prevalence of diabetes among children, doctors in Karnataka are targeting schools to educate them about the causes of the disease and ways of tackling it early.
Dr Manohar Nageshappa, Chairman, of the Karnataka Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (KRSSDI), said the change in lifestyle, especially in the pandemic era, has resulted in an increase in diabetic incidence among children. Poor dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle a major reasons why children are being diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes. Previously, most children were seen suffering from Type-1 diabetes which was genetically transmitted from parents.
Doctors have been organizing awareness campaigns for the past two or three months in several schools in Bengaluru and are now extending it to other districts in Karnataka. Under the MadhuMeha Pathshala and MadhuMeha Samvada campaign, they are educating students about Type-2 diabetes. All the students are supposed to fill out forms mentioning diabetes-related questionnaires which are evaluated by the doctors later.
The MadhuMeha Paathshala is an initiative by Dr Sridhar K, General Council Member, KRRSDI, educating children about the health benefits of regular exercise along with providing relevant information.
As November is observed as World Diabetes Awareness Month, doctors also warned that diabetes is a key reason for rising vascular diseases and cautioned that a parallel rise will lead to an increased morbidity and mortality rate in the upcoming years. Hence, they are also taking measures to educate students about the rising burden of other non-communicable diseases.
Dr Manohar also educated students about dealing with failures in schools and seeking help from the teachers and parents when required. “All students are capable of becoming lawyers, doctors, and actors among other professions. Besides working towards achieving their goals, they must focus on leading a healthy and happy life,” he added.