Chennai :

Women are prone to diabetes at every stage of their life, so a community-based approach is needed to help woman patients understand the disease, said endocrinologist Dr Usha Sriram of ACEER clinic.

The clinic on Saturday launched ‘Women2Women’, an initiative by women for women to address the rising epidemic of diabetes in India. “Diabetes in women is different, difficult, neglected and on the rise. Women are particularly more vulnerable to more complications and a shorter lifespan,” said the doctor. The premise of the initiative is that women are great change agents as they are able to share, communicate, support and nurture, she added.

About 100 women diabetologists and physicians from across the country will be trained in capacity building and will come together for physician training, review of educational material and launch of tools and portals for community empowerment. The first phase of the programme is designed to reach 2,500 women physicians across the country and 50 lakh women in the community.

The highlight of this programme is the community education approach to prevent and manage diabetes.

The doctor pointed out that this is the first time that a coalition of women endocrinologists and diabetologists are coming together to focus on how to reach women for better health outcomes. Actor Radhika Sarathkumar and Dr Sr Jasintha Quadras, principal Stella Maris College were present at the launch.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / TNN / August 30th, 2015