8% men in 15-49 yrs age group have high blood sugar levels

NEW DELHI: Around eight per cent of men in the age group of 15-49 years have high blood sugar levels while over 13 per cent are hypersensitive, the government today said quoting data from the latest health survey.

"The Health Ministry through the International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai, has conducted National Family Health Survey 4 (NFHS-4) 2015-16.

"As per the survey, in the age group of 15-49 years, 8 per cent of men and 5.8 per cent of women in India have high random blood sugar levels and 13.6 per cent men and 8.8 per cent women are hypertensive," Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

The government has launched the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) which is implemented for interventions up to district-level under the National Health Mission, she said.

NPCDCS has a focus on awareness generation for behaviour and life-style changes, screening and early diagnosis of persons with high level of risk factors and their treatment for appropriate management for Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) including diabetes and hypertension.

"Since 2015-16, funds are being released to the states under NCD flexipool for the NCD programmes such as NPCDCS to give more flexibility to them.

"Rs 75.67 crore and Rs 210 crore were released to the states under NPCDCS under NHM in 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively while Rs 379 crore were released in 2015-16 under NCD flexipool under NHM," she said.

India is the first country globally to adopt the NCD Global Monitoring Framework and Action Plan to its National Context, she added.