According to the ICMR-INDIAB-17 national cross sectional study estimates, the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in India is 101 million and 136 million, respectively that are much higher than earlier estimates in 2019 (77 million), which is expected to rise to over 134 million by 2045. Approximately 57% of these individuals remain undiagnosed.

Uncontrolled diabetes leads to increased risk of vascular disease and much of the burden of type 2 diabetes is caused by macrovascular (cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral artery diseases) and microvascular (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) complications. Diabetic complications are the significant cause for increased premature morbidity and mortality among individuals with diabetes, leading to reduced life expectancy and financial and other costs of diabetes leading to profound economic burden on the Indian health care system. To curb the epidemic of diabetes and its associated complications, there is a need for a multipronged strategy including equipping the AYUSH students and physicians to handle the epidemic.

To tackle the burden of Diabetes, which is increasing globally, fuelled by the increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, a symposium was organized by Central Council for Research in Siddha, Ministry of Ayush, Govt. of India, National Institute of Siddha, Ministry of Ayush, Govt. of India, Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy Govt. of Tamil Nadu & SEED Trust Tirunelveli on 9^th September 2023.

Prof. Dr. R. Meenakumari, Director General, (Additional Charge), CCRS & Director, National Institute of Siddha, Chennai offered welcome address & Opening remarks.
She stressed on the need to focus on the Siddha system and its integration for prevention and management of Diabetes.

Dr. G. Sivaraman, Managing Director, Arogya Health Care Pvt. Ltd., & Member, State Planning Commission, Tamil Nadu delivered Thematic address – “Vision, Scope & Targets in DM management with Siddha Science”. Talking to the audience like undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral Siddha scholars and faculty of National Institute of Siddha, Research officers of Central Council of Research in Siddha, he said many more research is required on Siddha system of management to take the Siddha system to needy common public.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan Former Chief Scientist, World Health Organization & Chairman, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai delivered Keynote address. She enlightened on various factors which are leading to Diabetes in the recent times and stressed on scope for studies to focus traditional medicine in management of diabetes and the lifestyle modifications like healthy eating required to healthy without getting non-communicable diseases.

Smt. Shilpa Prabhakar Satish, Mission Director, National Health Mission – Tamil Nadu was guests of honour. She explained various programs of health department of Tamil Nadu. She has highlighted the scope of Traditional Medicine including Siddha in management of lifestyle disorders including diabetes. She has requested everyone to indulge in physical activates and healthy eating to avoid these kind of lifestyle diseases. She has requested the scholars to come up with many research papers on Siddha system for enabling the government to take policy decisions based on them.

A souvenir of the symposium and handbook on Siddha diabetology was released in the event.

There will be 5 Plenary Sessions by eminent scientists on different aspects of Diabetes such as Current Trends in diagnosis, Protocols for Diabetic Research, Pathophysiology as per Siddha, Research undertaken using Siddha formulations and Dietary regimen.  

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