Abbott, India’s leading pharmaceutical company, and Greater Vishakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has inked an agreement to provide diagnosis and expand access to care for thyroid disorders, to help improve the quality of life of women in Vishakhapatnam.

This partnership is one of the first of its kind in the country that is initiated by a government body and will screen approximately eight lakh women from Vishakhapatnam over a period of three years. While GVMC provides the infrastructure, Abbott provides GVMC with subsidized diagnostics and educational materials. Abbott also will support the Indian Thyroid Society to provide advance courses on the management of thyroid disorders for the medical officers of GVMC. The patients would be treated at the Department of Endocrinology, King George Hospital in Vishakhapatnam.

Vivek Mohan, managing director, Abbott India Limited said, “By coming together with various stakeholders, we can work towards the objective of enhancing access to health care solutions for people across India. Abbott, GVMC and the Indian Thyroid Society together will continue our efforts to increase awareness of thyroid disorders and improving the rate of diagnosis in our country.”

GVMC and Abbott initiated a pilot project in two of the districts in Vishakhapatnam in August 2011. The GVMC workers went door to door screening approximately 800 women each day, using a specially designed questionnaire prepared by the Department of Endocrinology, King George Hospital. Based on the feedback received from these questionnaires, women that were identified as high-risk patients undertook a Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test.

Initial findings from this pilot released by the Department of Endocrinology, King George Hospital indicate that hypothyroidism is increasingly becoming a cause of concern amongst women. Out of the 46,000 women screened, 28.6 per cent between the ages of 20 to 50 years were diagnosed with high-risk thyroid disorders, and these women were unaware of the disease, its complications and that the condition is treatable.

“A revelation from the pilot project was that many women were not aware of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism as disease conditions. Women who reported symptoms such as memory loss, excess hair loss, excess weight gain, menstrual irregularity, infertility, easy fatigability, neck swelling and those having family history of thyroid disorders are screened. We look to gynecologists to encourage women planning pregnancy or women whose pregnancy is confirmed to take a TSH test.” says Dr K S L G Sastry, senior medical officer, GVMC.

Dr K A V Subramanyam, Head of Department of Endocrinology, King George Hospital, said, “Untreated maternal hypothyroidism could lead to severe complications in pregnancy and may also adversely affect the overall development of the baby.”

It is estimated that approximately 40 million Indians suffer from thyroid related disorders, of which 60 per cent are women. Thyroid disorders can be due to genetic, environmental and dietary factors, or autoimmune antibodies. They are most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 20 to 40, but can occur at all ages.

If left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause elevated cholesterol levels, changes in blood pressure, decreased fertility, depression and decreased heart rate; and in pregnant women, placental abnormalities and increased risks for the baby’s well-being. These symptoms are often confused with other disorders, thus making thyroid disorders one of the least detected disorders in India. Like diabetes, there is no permanent cure for most forms of thyroid disorders but with medication and precise treatment, thyroid disorders can be controlled and patients can live normal lives.

GVMC is is responsible for the overall governance of the city of Visakhapatnam and other areas coming under the ambit of the municipality limits. It consists of 72 wards and is responsible for the overall wellbeing of its citizens.

The Indian Thyroid Society aims to provide a forum for all endocrinologists, nuclear physicians and physicians with a special interest in Thyroidology. It encourages doctors across India to screen individuals for thyroid disorder.

Abbott, India’s leading pharmaceutical company is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics.