India can be world diabetes capital, warns Keith Vaz
By IANSSunday, October 25, 2009
PANAJI - Launching a mobile testing unit for diabetes in Goa, British MP Keith Vaz Sunday warned that India would be the world capital for diabetes if measures were not taken to prevent the disease.
“There are already 14 million diabetes patients in India, but there are many, many more who are not diagnosed yet,” Vaz said, warning that if remedial measures were not taken soon, India has the potential to the the world capital for diabetes.
Vaz is Labour MP in the British parliament and national patron of Silver Star, the charity that donated the mobile testing van, known as a Mobile Diabetes Assessment Unit.
The van can test for diabetes within minutes.
The fourth edition of the World Diabetes Atlas, released in Montreal recently, estimated that by 2010 about 50.8 million Indians in the 20-79 age group will have diabetes, rising to 87 million by 2030 - the highest in the world.
However, most Indians do not have easy access to diagnostic centres - a gap that mobile units can help plug.
The van, which comes with testing equipment, a bed and washing facilities, will travel across Goa providing free diabetes testing.
Vaz, who has his ethnic roots in Goa, said that the Silver Star initiative, which would involve mobile vans with diabetes diagnostic kits holding regular examination camps, would soon start operations in Mumbai too.
Registered in Britain, Silver Star has roped in Amitabh and actress Shilpa Shetty as their international patron.
