The Piramal Group, under the aegis of helpyourbody, launched Mumbai’s first-of-its-kind crusade against chronic diseases along with a comprehensive patient support programme.

Through this initiative, the Piramal Group aims to enrol 3,500 doctors as crusaders across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu in the pilot phase and scale this up to 25,000 doctors nationally, who will pledge their support in the first phase of helpyourbody. The first presentation was made to Dr H B Chandalia at his clinic in the presence of Ajay Piramal, chairman, Piramal Group.

Each of these doctor-crusaders will disseminate knowledge and information to patients on risk factors of chronic diseases, diagnosis and management. This patient support program will reach out to around 70,000 patients in the pilot phase and 5,00,000 patients across India subsequently.
Ajay Piramal, chairman, Piramal Group said, “On the helpyourbody platform, we are trying to bring together the government, the private sector and the medical fraternity as part of a comprehensive integrated crusade against the onslaught of chronic diseases. The cumulative social and economic impact of these measures is bound to be immense. At the Piramal Group, we strive to democratize healthcare. We feel that we have the knowledge, the expertise, the reach and most importantly the deep desire to help India reduce the threat of chronic diseases and we have therefore committed significant resources to sustain this mission. We have received overwhelming support from everybody we have approached so far and every time a crusader enrols we feel encouraged in our mission.”

Professor Chandalia, director, Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management And Research Centre said, “It is extremely important to evolve strategies like helpyourbody to prevent and manage these chronic diseases. The behavioural approaches recommended under helpyourbody, both at the individual and community level will improve adherence to the lifestyle programs and thus lead to effective prevention of these diseases. helpyourbody is to help all and one; enabling citizens of India to lead a healthy life. It is a process of education, which is the most powerful tool against chronic diseases. Hence, let us put all our ideas and resources together to augment helpyourbody.”

India is the chronic disease capital of the world. The number of diabetics expected is to rise from 40 million today to 70 million by 2025. By 2025, 213.5 million are expected to be affected by hypertension from the present 118 million; and 60 million by osteoarthritis from the present 15 million. These chronic diseases also open the gates to other illnesses. From 30 million patients suffering from diabetes in 2005, 6.6 million are expected to be affected by diabetic nephropathy and 1.6 million Indians from stroke alone.

It is noteworthy that chronic diseases are also known to have an indirect impact on people’s economic status and employment opportunities in the long term. Annual reduction in GDP from deaths due to heart disease, stroke & Diabetes as proportion of GDP will be over 1 per cent by 2015. The accumulated GDP loss is Rs 10,62,000 crore and the total costs including welfare losses in the year 2015 will be about Rs 15,01,200 crore. However it has also been predicted that reducing the burden of these diseases by 2 per cent every year is expected to earn us Rs 67500 crore by 2015.

helpyourbody is a nationwide health crusade created with the help of former president of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, which aims to reduce the projected trend of chronic diseases by 2 per cent per annum.