{"id":25682,"date":"2026-11-14T23:52:59","date_gmt":"2026-11-14T18:22:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/?p=25682"},"modified":"2026-11-14T23:55:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T18:25:00","slug":"india-has-the-highest-number-of-children-with-type-1-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/?p=25682","title":{"rendered":"India has the highest number of children with Type 1 diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sweetlings Centre: &amp;apos;\u091f\u093e\u0907\u092a \u0967 \u0921\u093e\u092f\u092c\u093f\u091f\u0940\u0938&amp;apos; \u0930\u0941\u0917\u094d\u0923\u093e\u0902\u0928\u093e \u092e\u093f\u0933\u0923\u093e\u0930 \u0935\u093f\u0936\u0947\u0937 \u0909\u092a\u091a\u093e\u0930\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xj03oSNauoQ?wmode=transparent&amp;rel=0&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>PUNE: India has the highest number of children and adolescents living with Type 1 diabetes in the world, with an estimated 3.01 lakh patients below the age of 20. Highlighting the need for early diagnosis, timely treatment and sustained medical support, the Sweetlings Centre of Excellence for Type 1 Diabetes, run by the Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute (HCJMRI) at Jehangir Hospital, will organise a week-long awareness campaign and free diabetes risk assessment activities across Pune from November 14 to 21.<\/p>\n<p>The initiative, being organised to mark World Diabetes Day and Children&#8217;s Day, will include community screening activities at public parks and among police personnel, along with awareness programmes focusing on early identification and comprehensive diabetes care.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at a press conference, Dr Anuradha Khadilkar, Director of the Sweetlings Centre and Paediatrician, said the World Diabetes Day theme for 2026-27, &#8216;Early Action on Diabetes&#8217;, emphasises the importance of early diagnosis and timely intervention to prevent complications.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body&#8217;s immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, resulting in little or no insulin production. Children with this condition require lifelong insulin treatment. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented through lifestyle modifications,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an estimated 3.01 lakh children and adolescents below the age of 20 are living with Type 1 diabetes in India, the highest number reported by any country. Globally, approximately 18.1 lakh children and adolescents in this age group were living with the condition in 2024, with around 2.19 lakh new cases diagnosed during the year. The IDF projects that the number of adults living with diabetes worldwide could reach 85.3 crore by 2050.<\/p>\n<p>Paediatric Endocrinologist Dr Waman Khadilkar said parents should be alert to symptoms such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss and persistent fatigue. In children, newly developed bedwetting after having achieved bladder control, increased hunger, weakness and reduced physical activity could also be warning signs.<\/p>\n<p>He cautioned that delayed diagnosis could lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially life-threatening complication. Since symptoms can develop rapidly in children, parents should seek medical advice without delay if they notice such changes.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the campaign, free diabetes risk assessments will be conducted across Pune. The screening will include random blood glucose testing, body mass index (BMI) calculation and waist circumference measurements. Experts will also provide guidance on nutrition, physical activity, and healthy lifestyle practices. Individuals with abnormal screening results or increased risk will be advised to undergo further medical evaluation.<\/p>\n<p>The Sweetlings Centre currently provides comprehensive care to more than 850 children living with Type 1 diabetes. Its services extend beyond medical management to include nutritional guidance, diabetes education and psychosocial support for children and their families. The centre also extends its services to Nagpur and Kolhapur. A child-friendly environment has been created to make hospital visits and treatment more comfortable for young patients.<\/p>\n<p>To mark World Diabetes Day, the centre will organise a special carnival for underprivileged children living with Type 1 diabetes on November 14, followed by a dedicated programme for young people on November 21.<\/p>\n<p>Aarti Irani, Public Relations Officer of Jehangir Hospital, Medical Officer Deepali Ladkat, Sweetlings Centre Project Head Mohnish Wagh, and Public Relations Officer Niraj Raskar were present at the press conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 3 lakh Indian children affected; Sweetlings Centre provides comprehensive care to more than 850 children, free screening across Pune from November 14 to 21<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25683,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,123,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-hospital","category-pune"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25682"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25685,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25682\/revisions\/25685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}