New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) Over 500 women physicians on Monday took part in a programme here aiming to create awareness among women on how to prevent and control diabetes through a community-based approach.
The event organised by Women2Women (W2W) -- a leadership programme that builds a network of promising young women (aged 15-19) -- was based on the concept of community-based approach to help women keep diabetes at bay.
"Under this initiative, women physicians will be trained by coalition of women endocrinologists and diabetologist and will be provided with the necessary tools to implement the programme in their respective areas and communities," said a statement from Women2Women.
These trained women would further roll this plan out to school girls and women in colleges, residential welfare associations and corporates.
"Our focus is primarily women because they are prone to have diabetes in various stages of their lives, especially during pregnancy, as gestational diabetic mothers give birth to babies who because of intra uterine environment are prone to develop Type 2 diabetes," said diabetologist and W2W member Meena Chabbra.
Stating that healthcare of women in India has usually been neglected, she said the organisation through the campaign aims to inform and educate them about the complications that can arise due to diabetes.
According to a survey, on an average, one in 10 pregnant women in Delhi were found to have GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) and the studies reveal that women with GDM are at a higher risk of developing diabetes later in life.
Nearly 70 million people -- half of them women -- in a population of 1.21 billion have diabetes, and the number is predicted to rise to 101 million by 2030.
