Comics to educate children about diabetes

NEW DELHI - If comics like Chandamama or those featuring Chacha Chaudhury or Phantom fascinate you, get ready for a new set where your superheroes will spread awareness on diabetes.

Conceptualised by the Delhi Diabetes Research Centre (DDRC), the comic “Diabetes and You” was launched in the capital Tuesday by Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely.

An effort of DDRC Juvenile Diabetes Education Foundation of India, the comic books will broadly contain details on diabetes - causes, symptoms and preventive measures in simple and catchy language.

Comics, both in English and Hindi, will comprise of fictional stories, diagrammatical information and pictorial situations. The books will be available in school libraries and students will be free to take them home.

“Awareness is the best cure to any disease. If you tell children that they should not take fast food and should exercise daily, they won’t take it seriously. The comics will educate them through an array of attractive and engaging tales,” said Lovely.

The organisation plans to circulate 1,000 copies each in Hindi and English in the national capital.

DDRC chairman A.K. Jhingan said: “Teaching school children about diabetes through comics is an initiative towards creating awareness on diabetes at an early stage. Education and Prevention is the key to evade the disease.”

A study conducted by DDRC found that 17 to 25 percent of Delhi school children are obese and around 18 percent of them are likely to develop diabetes later in their lives.

“We have noticed a serious trend. The Type 2 diabetes previously considered as an adult disease, is now increasingly being diagnosed in children and awareness is the key to prevent pandemic spread of diabetes,” he said.