Diabetes is a ticking time bomb for India. We have the largest number of people with diabetes in the world.

There was a time when people used to call diabetes a rich person’s disease. But that’s no longer the case. According to a recent study, 21 crore Indians are living with diabetes.

The scary part is the rate at which it’s affecting young Indians. If you’re a 20-year-old woman living in a city today, you have a 64.6% chance of developing diabetes during your lifetime. If you’re a young man, your risk is also quite high at 55.5%.

But the sad part is there’s a lack of awareness among people. About 27.5% of people with diabetes don’t even know they have it. Even if they do know, very few people get treatment.

What makes this a serious crisis is that less than 20% of Indians have health insurance. Most Indians end up spending out of their pocket, which is a huge burden for poor and low-income households.

There’s no magic bullet to solve this issue. We need multiple approaches, from public awareness campaigns, insurance coverage for the poor and vulnerable, to introducing early detection programs.

Simple lifestyle changes, like adding a few extra minutes of exercise each day or reducing time spent sitting, can make a big difference. Even small changes, such as walking or cycling for an extra five minutes a day, can lower the risk of diabetes.

We’ve been supporting founders and startups that are working on helping Indians become healthier, but this is a systemic challenge that needs all people involved—from individuals to the government—to take action.

We recently covered this in our daily newsletter. Check this out.

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