4-day global meet on diabetes kicks off

Hyderabad: The 44th Annual conference of ISPAD-2018 kicked off formally on Thursday here at HICC. The four-day meet will conclude on October 14.

Highlights:

• Over 1,000 diabetes specialists taking part in conference
• Pediatric diabetes are the most neglected lot in country

Around 1,000 childhood and adolescent diabetes experts comprising endocrinologists, diabetologists, diabetes educators, dieticians, psychologists from 59 countries (India, USA, UK, Iran, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Bangladesh, Sweden, Egypt and others) are taking part in the meet. The theme of the meet is “Reaching the Unreached”. It is the biggest ever conference of Childhood and Adolescent Diabetes experts from all over the world to be held in India. That the venue is in Hyderabad is a matter of great pride for the state of Telangana.

Disclosing this, the office-bearers and organizing committee members of ISPAD Prof. Joseph Wolfsdorf, president; Fr. Kim C Donaghue, incoming World President, Dr. Anju Virmani and Dr. Banshi Saboo, conference presidents, informed that the global meet brings together doctors, nurses, dieticians, psychologists, scientists and other professionals from all corners of the world to explore new developments in basic and clinical research and exchange ideas on how to implement them in the real world and how to improve the treatment of children afflicted by diabetes, and help their families, throughout the world.

Talking to the media they said prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes in India is the second largest in the world with 1.28 lakh after USA with 2 lakh. Paediatric diabetes are most neglected lot in the country. Most of the government officials do not have any understanding about this issue, said Dr. Anju Virmani. Both Dr. Anju and Dr Banshi wanted Union government to offer subsidies for insulin as well as blood sugar tests.

The conference will help its attendees update on the latest in treatment, interventions, technology, epidemiology, registries, acute and chronic complications, co-morbidities, communication, support from mental health professionals and the need to “live with diabetes, not for diabetes”.

The conference has many other firsts, which include: “Diabetes 101” which aims to reach the unreached health professionals especially in developing countries. This parallel stream of sessions by international experts will cover the basics of childhood diabetes care for pediatricians, educators, dieticians and other professionals. In addition, there will be sessions on other relevant issues like reaching disadvantaged patients and coping with under-nutrition and over-nutrition.