A Study on the Health Care of Diabetes Patients in India

Diabetes is a rapidly growing health challenge and potential epidemic across the low-and-middle-income countries like India. It is projected that by 2025 the number of cases with diabetes in India would be 69.9 million with a vast majority still undiagnosed. This is primarily driven by dietary transitions and insufficient or lack of physical activity altering the physiological milieu leading to overweight or obesity and diabetes. Care for chronic diseases like diabetes poses challenges characterized by the need for sustained compliance to treatment, prevention or management of associated complications. This requires the continuous engagement of health systems in the continuum of care at all stages. Diabetes care requires coordination across all tiers of health care systems. Most importantly co-driven by the patient’s knowledge, attitudes and perceptions toward awareness, treatment and adherence to the recommendations. The Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Monitoring Framework targets (10) and indicators (21) set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India adapted from the Global NCD framework (World Health Organization), calls for a need to halt the rise in diabetes and prevent premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025. Such targets can be met only with effective strategies at multisectoral levels. However, an important limitation and quandary for policymakers are that majority of the population might be unaware of their diabetes status and are not adherent to advice. Robust empirical data on diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, control and adherence is needed to comprehend the impact of initiatives taken to halt the growing burden of diabetes, response of health systems and health-seeking behaviors amongst the population. Understanding where diabetics are lost in the care cascade is essential for targeted health interventions. Also, to monitor progress in health system performance for diabetes management over time.