Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has called for making diabetes prevention and preventive healthcare a national priority, saying rural India is no longer untouched by the growing diabetes burden.
Addressing the launch of the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Portal and VISHWAS Diabetes Awareness Video Library, the Minister said a community-led, technology-enabled and data-driven approach is needed to tackle diabetes in rural and underserved areas.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also a Professor of Medicine and Diabetologist, said protecting India’s young population is critical to achieving the vision of a developed India by 2047. He noted that more than 70 per cent of India’s population is below the age of 40.
He said India has made significant progress in healthcare, scientific research and digital innovation, but the next challenge is to ensure that these advances reach every citizen, particularly those living in rural and underserved communities.
The Minister said early detection, timely intervention, lifestyle modification and sustained follow-up are essential to reduce the burden of diabetes and its complications.
Highlighting the RSSDI Rural Outreach Programme, Dr Jitendra Singh said professional medical organisations can complement national healthcare efforts by taking specialist expertise closer to communities. The programme has already reached around 30 villages across several states, with plans for further expansion.
He said the newly launched digital portal would strengthen community healthcare through systematic documentation and enable continuity of care, monitoring of outcomes and generation of real-world data from rural India.
According to the Minister, such data can help improve understanding of disease patterns and support the development of evidence-based public health strategies tailored to the Indian population.
Calling for greater collaboration among government agencies, academic institutions, technology partners, private organisations and local healthcare workers, Dr Jitendra Singh said effective prevention and management of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases require coordinated efforts.
He said the “age of silos is over” and highlighted the growing convergence of engineering, technology and medical sciences in healthcare delivery and digital health.
The Minister also stressed the need to make digital health solutions responsive to India’s linguistic diversity. He said healthcare technology should take into account the colloquial languages used by people at the grassroots to make digital health services more accessible and relevant.
Dr Jitendra Singh said diabetes has emerged as a major public health challenge, with changing lifestyles and food habits contributing to its spread across both rural and urban areas.
He emphasised that diabetes prevention cannot remain the responsibility of doctors alone and must become a shared priority involving individuals, communities, healthcare professionals and institutions.
He expressed hope that RSSDI would work with government agencies, academic institutions, technology partners and local healthcare workers to develop the Rural Outreach Programme into a sustainable and scalable model for preventing and managing diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.
The Minister called for a renewed commitment to building a healthier India where scientific knowledge, digital innovation and compassionate healthcare reach every village and citizen.
