New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has called for making diabetes prevention and preventive healthcare a national priority, stressing that the disease is increasingly affecting rural communities.
Speaking at the launch of the RSSDI Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Portal and VISHWAS Diabetes Awareness Video Library, Singh said India needs a community-led, technology-enabled and data-driven approach to tackle the growing burden of diabetes.
He noted that more than 70% of India’s population is below 40, making the health of the country’s young population crucial to the vision of a developed India by 2047.
Digital technology to strengthen rural healthcare
Singh said rural India is no longer untouched by the diabetes epidemic and stressed the importance of early detection, timely treatment, lifestyle changes and regular follow-up.
The RSSDI Rural Outreach Programme has already reached around 30 villages across several states, with plans for further expansion.
He said the newly launched digital portal would enable standardised registration, treatment documentation and long-term monitoring while generating anonymised real-world data that could support future public health policies and research.
Singh also called for stronger cooperation between government agencies, medical institutions, technology companies and local healthcare workers.
Highlighting India’s linguistic diversity, he said digital health platforms should also accommodate local and colloquial languages to make healthcare information accessible at the grassroots level.
The minister said diabetes prevention cannot remain the responsibility of doctors alone and must become a shared national priority involving individuals, communities and institutions.
He expressed hope that the RSSDI initiative would evolve into a scalable national model for preventing and managing diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.
