RSSDI Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Initiative: A National Call to Action

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has called for making diabetes prevention a national priority, warning that the disease is no longer confined to urban populations and that rural India is increasingly affected by diabetes. He made the remarks while inaugurating the RSSDI Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Portal and launching VISHWAS, a Diabetes Awareness Video Library.

India’s Diabetes Burden: What the ICMR-INDIAB Study Found

The launch of the digital initiatives aligns with a wider push towards early screening, awareness and prevention, particularly in rural and underserved communities. According to the ICMR-INDIAB national study, India has an estimated 101 million people living with diabetes and another 136 million with prediabetes. The study also found that while the diabetes epidemic is stabilising in some more developed states, it continues to rise in many other parts of the country, underlining the need for stronger preventive interventions.

Dr Singh highlighted the importance of protecting India’s young population, noting that more than 70% of Indians are below the age of 40. He said preventing and delaying the onset of diabetes and other lifestyle-related diseases is essential to preserving the health and productive potential of the population and supporting the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

What the RSSDI Digital Portal and VISHWAS Offer

The RSSDI Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Portal is intended to strengthen awareness and outreach around diabetes prevention and management in rural areas, while VISHWAS, the Diabetes Awareness Video Library, will provide educational resources to improve public understanding of the disease and its prevention. RSSDI’s broader rural outreach programme has targeted 100+ villages for screening, awareness, healthcare access and lifestyle education. Explore the RSSDI Rural Outreach Programme

The latest initiative comes as diabetes increasingly emerges as a nationwide public health challenge rather than an exclusively urban concern. The ICMR-INDIAB study, which covered more than 113,000 individuals across 31 states and Union Territories, estimated an overall diabetes prevalence of 11.4% and prediabetes prevalence of 15.3%, highlighting the scale of India’s growing metabolic disease burden.

Why Early Prevention and Awareness Matter

By combining digital health education, rural outreach and preventive healthcare, the new RSSDI initiatives aim to support earlier awareness and action against diabetes. The focus on prevention is particularly significant as India works to reduce the long-term burden of diabetes-related complications, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, neuropathy and vision loss.