A tie-up with the Cuban government to explore the possibility of producing drugs for diabetic foot ulcers and a campaign to ensure early detection of breast cancer are among the steps the Health department in Kerala is taking up this year to check lifestyle diseases.
They are part of the department’s non-communicable diseases (NCD) control programme and based on the results of a survey of people aged above 30 launched around two years ago. Through the ‘Shaili’ app designed by e-Health Kerala, home-based screening is being conducted to detect risk factors for NCDs.
“A ‘Healthy Life’ campaign focussing on changes in lifestyle and food habits is being planned in 2024. It has been found that breast cancer cases among women, which can be healed if detected early, are higher in number in the State. An awareness campaign for early detection of breast cancer and screening of high risk, low risk and general category of patients, based on their age group and family history, etc,., too will be held,” Health Minister Veena George told The Hindu on Tuesday.
She said the efforts to produce drugs for diabetic foot ulcers with the help of the Cuban government have begun.
Survey results
Of the 1,77,30,157 people aged above 30 in the State, 1,53,33,796 have been screened through the Shaili app till January 8. Among them, community-based assessment checklist (CBAC) score is found to be above four for 27,81,345 people. They are at a higher risk of contracting NCDs and need to undergo weekly screening.
Malappuram has the highest number of those with a CBAC score above four: 3,18,154 people. A total of 1,54,607 in the district have already been diagnosed with hypertension. As many as 1,60,283 already have diabetes and 47,581 have both these conditions.
Idukki has the lowest number of people with a CBAC score above four: 66,941. Among the surveyed population, 6,24,490 already have diabetes and hypertension. A total of 16,48,645 have hypertension alone and 13,32,114 have diabetes alone.
The Minister said 360 degrees metabolic centres were being set up in all district hospitals for early detection of diabetes. They would offer diet counselling apart from facilities to prevent, detect and treat complications related to diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and peripheral neuropathy.
Steps would also be taken to control hypertension as a large number of people in the State were found to have been affected by it, she added.
