Campaign on diabetes takes off

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, AUG. 14. A pretty ordinary white Ambassador car stood outside the Jawahar Bal Bhavan inviting no second looks. But only untill eminent painter and sculptor, John Devaraj, arrived on Tuesday morning, children, colours, and reams of diabetic information in tandem. An hour was all that the 15 children took to break free, paint the car in a riot of colours, give meaning to a campaign about diabetes, the lurking epidemic.

It was Novo Nordisk Pharma's way of saying ``We Care''. Guided by Devaraj, the master of children's campaigns, the diabetic children forgot their pain and troubles to transform the car to a moving picture. A visual tell-tale symbol was in the making, the car's exteriors sporting messages that read: ``I wish I could eat my birthday cake...'', ``I wish I could become a doctor''.

Novo Nordisk's recently launched Diabetes Infoline number took its place in bold: ``1901-338014''. As the children sprayed their imagination on the metallic surface, subconsciously they were pleading with Bangaloreans to spare a thought. For their sake, for the 30 million diabetic patients roaming the country, for prevention, for a healthy future. The car will now find parking spaces at hospitals and high-density areas across the City.

``India is currently facing a diabetic epidemic,'' reminded Dr. J.K.Joshi. ``The number of diabetic patients is poised to triple from the 1995 figure of 19 million to 57 million in 2025 as per a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report.'' In many cases, he said, ``it is preventable, if a proper lifestyle is followed. But unless the people ask the doctors about the chances of their getting diabetics.''

Tuesday's car-painting campaign was also a reminder of juvenile diabetes, a cause for concern for about 2 per cent to 3 per cent of the country's insulin requiring population. ``Usually, diabetes in children occurs as a result of self destruction of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas,'' explained the Novo Nordisk people. ``It is usually because of an auto immune response or due to infection of the pancreatic cells.''

But children with diabetes can lead a perfectly normal and healthy life. ``Diabetes has not limited their urge to perform, be it in a playfield or in their careers... However, there is an urgent need to give the necessary psychological and emotional support to the family to overcome the initial trauma and depression caused by diagnosis of the disorder.''

The biggest problem facing these children and their families, as the Novo Nordisk people put it, is lack of credible information and support system. ``Even the society at large needs to know that having diabetes is not self-limiting in performing normally in their day-to-day activities.''

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