Fight against diabetes in children

Sanofi, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) announced on Monday their first joint public health initiative in India,” KiDS “(Kids and Diabetes in Schools) project.

For children with Type 1 diabetes, the project aims to encourage a safe and supportive school environment to manage their diabetes and avoid discrimination. Juvenile or Type 1 diabetes has been neglected even though one out of five children with Type 1 diabetes in the world would be an Indian. If Type 1 diabetes is not detected and diagnosed, it could pose a grave challenge for children and families. Schools are ideal to raise awareness and train students, teachers and parents about Type 1 diabetes. The proposed school based intervention will not just focus on Type 1, but also Type 2 diabetes since the prevalence of obesity is increasing and people are developing Type 2 diabetes at a younger age.

Chris Viehbacher, Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi stated, “ In India, through our alliance with IDF and PHFI, the “KiDS” project will help children with Type 1 diabetes fight discrimination and manage their disease better. The project will also include health education for the school children to curb the increasing burden of Type 2 diabetes.”

Sir Michael Hirst, President of IDF told “In a developing country like India, barriers to diabetes self-management at school are significant. By engaging with policy makers and education authorities, organising meetings in local communities and providing educational resources to schools, “KiDS” will raise awareness of diabetes.” Dr K Srinath Reddy, President - PHFI shared that “The program’s first step was a feasibility study to understand the status of diabetes management by reviewing current policies on diabetes in schools.”