Vijayawada:To strengthen diabetes care across Andhra Pradesh, the state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), in collaboration with the IMA College of General Practitioners (IMA CGP), has announced the launch of a one-year certificate course indiabetology. The program will begin in November this year. The first batch will start with 50 seats, and the course brochure has already been released. The course is specifically designed for rural doctors and specialists from various medical specialities. According to IMA state president Dr. G. Nandakishore and secretary Dr. M. Subhash Chandra Bose, the initiative will help doctors stay updated on the latest treatment methods and improve patient care. Also read-Genetic Study Links Type 1 Diabetes with Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Confirms Causal Relationships: Study "Since diabetes affects almost every organ in the human body, it is essential that all doctors, including specialists and general practitioners, are updated with the latest treatment protocols. This initiative will help doctors provide improved care to diabetic patients," Dr Nandakishore and Dr Subhash Chandra Bose toldET. Dr. Dhulipalla Bharat Kumar, president of IMA Piduguralla Branch, has been appointed as the convenor of the course. The academic sessions will be guided by Prof. G. Eswar, former principal of Siddhartha Medical College and HoD of General Medicine. The event was attended by IMA CGP AP state secretary Dr M.V.V. Muralimohan, director of studies IMA CGP-AP Dr M. Parni Kumar, course chief faculty Prof. G. Eswar, course convenor Dr Dhulipalla Bharat Kumar, IMA-AP joint secretary Dr T. Seva Kumar, IMA Vijayawada branch president Dr Bodepudi Hanumayya, and several others. had earlier reported that nearly one in every five Indians aged 45 years and older had diabetes in 2019, with urban prevalence almost twice as high as rural, according to a major study published in The Lancet Global Health journal. The study also found that nearly 40% of individuals with diabetes were unaware of their condition, raising concerns about underdiagnosis and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in India. The study defined diabetes based on self-reported diagnosis or HbA1c levels of 6.5% or higher. The study drew from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey conducted from 2017 to 2019. Researchers surveyed 57,810 adults and their spouses across all 36 states and union territories. Participants had data available on HbA1c levels, body mass index, household income, and self-reported diabetes diagnoses. Also read-Diabetes Affects 1 in 5 Indians Over 45, Urban Areas Hit the Hardest: Lancet Study