Million children with Panaji: Ahead of World Diabetes Day, Directorate of Health Services, Government of Goa, Novo Nordisk India Private Limited, and Novo Nordisk Global Business Services flagged off ‘Tour de Diabetes’ – a four-city tour aimed at raising awareness about diabetes and promoting well-being across India. The tour was kicked off in Goa with a cyclathon flag-off ceremony attended by Dr. Vandana Dhume – Director, Directorate of Health Services, Goa; Dr. Ankush Desai – Endocrinologist, Goa Medical College; Mr John Dawber – Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Novo Nordisk Global Business Services and Mr Logan Phippen – international pro-cyclist, Team Novo Nordisk and Type 1 diabetes ambassador.
Among others present at the event were Prof. Dr. Shivanand M. Bandekar – Dean, Goa Medical College; Mr Alex Fernandes – Type 1 Diabetes Advocate and Ms Natasha Vora – Nutritionist & Health Coach, Nurture Health Solutions, Mumbai. The event also witnessed the presence of many healthcare professionals and families of children living with type 1 diabetes. The tour will move to Mumbai and Delhi before concluding in Bengaluru.
The condition is a serious health challenge as according to the ICMR INDIAB study, there are over 101 million people are living with diabetes in India. Goa has the highest prevalence of diabetes among Indian states, at 26.4% of the state’s population.
While talking about the government’s commitment to tackling diabetes, Dr Vandana Dhume – Director, Directorate of Health Services, Goa said, “Diabetes is also referred to as a silent killer because it can develop without noticeable symptoms but can have serious consequences for your health. Goa has over 26% of the population living with the chronic condition, which is a serious public health concern for us. The Government of Goa has been working in close association with Novo Nordisk for the last 15 years to strengthen the existing health infrastructure, raise awareness and improve diagnosis. Such initiatives with our partners aim to redefine healthcare standards, setting the stage for the Goa healthcare model to become a shining example across the country.”
John Dawber, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Novo Nordisk Global Business Services echoed the importance of the tour in Novo Nordisk’s mission to support people living with diabetes in India. He said, “We believe initiatives like these not only spread awareness but empower communities to provide a better quality of life for individuals managing diabetes. Athletes like Logan are an inspiration for people living with the chronic disease, because it shows that we need not limit our journey of achieving an active and fulfilling life.”
Logan Phippen is an international cyclist and a global ambassador for T1D awareness from Team Novo Nordisk, and he has lived with T1D since his early 20s. Talking about his journey, he said, “My meals were not metabolising and I was just wasting away. I had to tighten my belt all the time and was just not feeling good at all. But with the help of right set of doctors and a treatment regime, I have been able to manage the condition for over a decade now. My goal is to empower youngsters and caregivers living with the condition globally to overcome the stigma around it”.
This initiative by Novo Nordisk is aligned to The International Diabetes Federation’s theme for World Diabetes Day 2024 – ‘Diabetes and Well-Being’ and will be carried across 4 cities.
