BANGALORE: Millions of children in India are battling with diabetes, articulates the manual released on Diabetes.

The World Diabetes Day, November 14, targets on diabetes in children and adolescents. This year’s campaign for preventing diabetes is promoted with new meaning, the United Nations General Assembly designates World Diabetes Day as a United Nations Day, from this year onwards.

Over 240 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes. In the coming 20 years, the number will rise to 380 million. This life-threatening disease has not left even children. International Diabetes Federation –

Type 1 diabetes is increasing at rate of 3 per cent annually in children and teenagers, and at 5 per cent per year among pre-school children. Approximately 70,000 children under 15 get Type 1 diabetes a year (200 children a day). 4,40,000 cases of Type 1 diabetes in children across the globe, and more than a quarter live in SE Asia.

Type 2 diabetes, which was marked only in adults earlier, is now increasing at dismaying rates in children and teenagers.

Geeta Kamath, counsellor and CEO of the Samatvam Asha Medical Centre, said, “Families of children with diabetes spend around Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 on medicines a year, apart from consultation fees to check their eyesight, kidneys and feet. For the poor, it is a great burden. What is even worse is that many children with diabetes are never diagnosed and die before help can reach them.”

Free or subsidized treatment is provided by the Samatvam Asha Medical Centre to poor patients, who can’t afford medicines.

A Chennai based diabetes research centre launched a nationwide campaign to prevent childhood obesity and diabetes with the release of a manual on prevention of childhood obesity.

The M.V. Hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes Research Centre, a World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centre in India delivered 4,500 copies of manual.

Nearly 20 percent of Indian children are overweight and more of them suffering from ‘Type 2’ diabetes.

Vijay Viswanathan, managing director of hospital, said, “The increase in obesity in children in India, especially in the urban areas is quiet alarming. We, therefore, decided to concentrate on the food habits of children and assist parents in providing their children with a healthy nutritious diet.”

The manual provides information on prevalence of diabetes in India, growth charts and causes of obesity.