10 crore people in India are affected by diabetes, according to the ICMR study report on Infectious Diseases (INDIA DIABETES). [INDIAB] Study) has been stated. This type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes known as diabetes mellitus type-2. Especially, this disease affects young adults and older people. On the other hand children are also suffering from diabetes. This is called diabetes mellitus type-1.
Diabetes Mellitus Type-1: In type 1 diabetes, the B cells in the insulin-secreting area of the pancreas are slowly destroyed. This destruction begins in the fetus or at birth, and the disease manifests itself when about 80 percent of the cells are destroyed. It can be caused by genes, virus, certain drugs, high stress etc. Type-1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in three age groups: 1-2 years, 5 years and adolescence. Type-1 diabetes is also said to be a genetic disease. Type-1 diabetes requires insulin injections or tablets.
Impact in India: There are 20,351 juvenile diabetes patients in India, according to a report by the Union Health Department. Out of this, 13,368 people are suffering from type-1 diabetes. According to this, 65.6 percent of young diabetic patients are suffering from type-1 diabetes. A study conducted by ICMR in Delhi and Chennai revealed that 5 out of 1 lakh people under 20 years of age have type-1 diabetes (4.9 cases/1,00,000 populations). According to a study published in the Lancet medical journal, 8.6 lakh people in India are suffering from type-1 diabetes. Especially, this vulnerability is high in India. This number is expected to double by 2040, the study said.
This is the sharing of my experience of traveling for several hours to the type-1 diabetes treatment center operating at Children’s Health Hospital, Egmore, Chennai, to learn about children who have been suffering from type-1 diabetes since childhood and the treatment method for them:
Can’t run and play: Children were running, swinging and playing in all the wards of the Egmore Maternal Health Hospital. But it is not only in the diabetes ward that children run and dance. When the parents were asked about this, they said that they do not let the children play for a long time as there is a possibility of variation in sugar level if they play for a long time.
Don’t even know which disease: We had the opportunity to see first-hand the treatments of 40 people with diabetes. Out of these 40 children, 25 children are minors. That is, children who are not even old enough to know what kind of disease has affected them. Those chicks were standing next to their parents without even knowing that they had diabetes.
Frequent injection: Children with type 1 diabetes need insulin injections at regular intervals throughout the day. Many parents kept asking when the pen-shaped needle would be available as the children cried a lot because of the pain when it was injected into the body. A few informed children also asked the doctors directly. Parents prefer pen-shaped injections as they are less painful.
Going to school: Many parents were going to send their children to school and were questioning how they could inject insulin there. Also, with school about to start, many people get tested and consult their doctors about changing insulin doses.
Ban on Biscuits: Biscuits are children’s favorite. But doctors kept on advising all the parents not to give biscuits to their children as it increases the sugar level in the body if they eat biscuits. Despite this, some parents said that children ask for biscuits in the evenings.
Looking at all these, it has been revealed that the lifestyle of children suffering from type 1 diabetes is completely different from the lifestyle of normal children. The doctor said in this regard:
Children with type-1 diabetes can play like other children. There is no harm in playing. Depending on each child’s sugar levels, insulin dosage will be prescribed for them. If you inject the insulin in one place, the medicine will stay there. Medicine doesn’t work. So that’s it. We are constantly telling parents not to inject at the same site.
It is our opinion that biscuits should not be given to all children, not only children with diabetes. Biscuits are high in sugar. So no child should be given biscuits. Instead of biscuits, you can give children lentil and lentil in the evenings to make them habituated. This will increase nutrition.”
Speaking to the parents in this regard, they mainly put forward 3 demands. Description of:
To be declared as special children: Children with diabetes cannot be normal like other children. They are facing various medical treatments such as daily insulin injection, 4 times a day sugar level test, regular blood test. Therefore children suffering from type-1 diabetes should be declared as special children. Special programs should be implemented for them by declaring them as special children.
Facility in all Hospitals: Parents come from different districts to get treatment at Egmore Children’s Hospital. When asked in this regard, they said, “Ellumpur hospital provides test equipment and other equipment for diabetes diagnosis. But government hospitals in other districts do not have such facilities. Therefore, a separate section should be established for children suffering from type-1 diabetes in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu.” They said.
Facility in Schools: Children suffering from type 1 diabetes should be given insulin in the morning, afternoon and evening. We at the children’s home will give the injection. But they have a big problem in administering insulin injections in schools. Therefore, teachers should be made aware about this type-1 diabetes and children affected by it. Also, facilities for insulin administration should be provided in schools for children.
Reference: Article written under the REACH (Resource Group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health) Media Fellowship program for Reporting on NCDs 2023 training programme.