Novo Nordisk Collaborates With Gandhi Hospital To Set Type 1 Diabetes Care Centre of Excellence

Secunderabad: The Novo Nordisk Education Foundation (NNEF) launched a Centre for Excellence (CoE) for children with Type 1 diabetes in collaboration with Dept of Endocrinology Gandhi Hospital/ Medical College, Secunderabad, today. The newly established CoE will contribute to raising the standard of treatment for Type 1 diabetes and ensure availability of insulin supply to children with Type 1 diabetes in the region. 

Underprivileged children in India who have Type 1 diabetes may not have access to insulin for therapy, which could have serious health implications.This CoE aims to provide these children with free treatment and advocate with the government for more effective and long-term access to insulin supplies.It will also provide support, education, and quality training to develop a pool of resource personnel for managing childhood diabetes. Additionally, it will aid in encouraging research and development (R&D) to encourage the generation of scientific publications and provide appropriate recommendations for the management of diabetes mellitus in Indian children.

Commenting on the collaboration, Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Trustee, Novo Nordisk Education Foundation, said, “The anticipated number of Type 1 diabetes cases among those under 20 is highest in India and having the access to life-saving insulin is essential to them. We are pleased to have collaborated with Gandhi Medical College to set up a Centre of Excellence for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes patients in the State. In particular, children with Type 1 diabetes will now have access to appropriate care and treatment as a benefit of this partnership. We look forward to increasing the overall diabetes care coverage throughout the State in the future”.

Dr K. Ramesh Reddy, Director of Medical Education, Govt. of Telangana, said “Children with Type 1 diabetes need assistance because they have little to no access to diabetic treatment; this gap will be bridged with the setting up of this new CoE. We need to have a diabetes care ecosystem in the State due to the rise of diabetes patients in India. I am sure that this collaboration will help individuals in need and further our goal of bringing about change to manage diabetes.”

Dr M Raja Rao Superintendent, Gandhi Hospital/Medical College, Secunderabad stated, “With little to no access to diabetic care, children with Type 1 diabetes need assistance, and this gap will be filled with the launch of our new CoE. It is essential that people have access to the right care, hence we are happy to have the Novo Nordisk Education Foundation as a partner which has further strengthen our commitment to serve the community and those living with diabetes.”

Dr D. Vijay Shekar Reddy, Professor & HOD Dept of Endocrinology, Gandhi Hospital Medical College, Secunderabad states, “We are extremely happy about this partnership with NNEF as this is truly directed to the real issue which our children with T1 diabetes face today. Apart from treatment, we would also work on full integrated education to improve the outcome of their health condition.”  

74.2 million people in India live with diabetes. As per the latest estimates, there are more than 229,000 people with Type 1 diabetes under the age of 20 years in the country. Since the population of those living with Type 1 diabetes is miniscule compared to those with Type 2 diabetes, the former may not receive the attention it deserves, often leading to severe health consequences for children living with the condition.  

The Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a part of Novo Nordisk Education Foundation's access to diabetes care strategy. The strategy is aimed at improving the health condition and quality of life of children with Type 1 diabetes, strengthening the capacity of the healthcare system to diagnose and treat Type 1 diabetes in children, driving advocacy to get the required attention to care from policymakers, and sharing learnings through periodic articles. Through initiatives such as these, so far, Novo Nordisk Education Foundation has improved access to better care for over 6,000 children with type 1 diabetes across the country.

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