A major training programme for healthcare workers to improve diabetes care methods in six states has been initiated through the Diabetes Research Centre – World Diabetes Foundation Project (DRC – WDF) project.

The $ 17.73 lakh project, envisaged as a capacity building project as part of the National Diabetes Control Programme, mainly aims to train at least 3000 doctors, 1000 community nurses and 180 foot care specialists and diabetes self care educators over a period of three years. The project will mainly aim to coordinate various governmental and non-governmental organizations, private healthcare institutions and medical practitioners at all levels to ensure economic and effective diabetes care to the masses. The project will be implemented in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Training for the first batch of doctors would begin this week, said sources with the Chennai based Diabetes Research Centre.

The project was inaugurated on last Thursday by Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid, Princess of Denmark, and the function was attended by Pierre J Lefebvre, president of the International Diabetes Federation, Michael Sternberg, Danish Ambassador to India, Vijay Viswanathan, joint director of Diabetes Research Centre, Rakesh Mittal, deputy director general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) etc.

Earlier, delivering the Prof. M.Viswanathan Endowment Public Lecture, Pierre J Lefebvre, President of the International Diabetes Federation said about 189 million people in the world are estimated to be diabetics by 2003, and the figure would increase to 324 million by 2025. Independent WHO observers opine the current figure is about 177 million and India tops the list of 10 countries having the most affected population, followed by China. Risk factors like high racial susceptibility, central obesity and insulin resistance are high with the population in Asian countries.