Novo Nordisk India teams up with Dept of Posts, Karnataka for diabetes awareness campaign

Novo Nordisk India has partnered with Karnataka’s Postal Department to create mass awareness and reaching out to maximum number of people in the State. Around 9800 network post offices of the Karnataka postal department delivered the booklet on treatment and management of diabetes at the recipient’s doorstep. Coinciding with this year’s World Diabetic day theme, “millions of steps to change diabetes”, Novo Nordisk India along with the postal department to create awareness amongst the public distributed one lakh booklets containing information about the treatment and management of diabetes to individuals through the network of post offices across Karnataka on World Diabetes Day on November 14.  The informative booklet published in the regional language was well packed with information and illustrations on how to manage diabetes effectively and aimed at addressing the requirements of both those affected as well as their family members. Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, U.T Khader said, “Good health of its citizens is critical for a State to prosper and therefore it is imperative that we all unite in this cause to make Karnataka a healthy state. We need such large scale initiatives to create awareness and to educate people about diabetes and its management in the state.” “The recent diabetes trend in India reflects the shifting demographics of the disease nationwide. The Novo Nordisk Education Foundation (NNEF) through its multiple national and state level programmes has long been at the forefront for creating mass awareness amongst people in the urban and rural areas in India,” said Melvin D’souza, managing director, Novo Nordisk India. “We are happy to partner with the Postal department which incidentally is one of the largest networks of postal offices in the world. The sheer number has helped us take the message on diabetes awareness to the most remote corners of the state,” added the Novo Nordisk India chief. As part of this unique partnership, posters on diabetes awareness have been put up in all 9800 post offices across the state in English and Kannada to further create awareness amongst people. In addition, a diabetes management video has also been developed, and is being beamed across 70 nodal post offices in Karnataka. To mark the occasion Minister Khader also unveiled a ‘Special Cover’ and ‘My Stamp’ emphasizing on diabetes prevention, detection and management. Arundhaty Ghosh, Postmaster General, South Karnataka Region said that the  sheer size and scale of this entire campaign was to create awareness and educate people about prevention, detection and control of diabetes. We are happy to have contributed in creating this mass awareness and there could not have been a better platform than the postal department to send out the message. In addition to this, over 2000 people were screened for diabetes at the event that included postal department staff and the public at large. A unique ‘Diabetes Village’ was also created to educate people about the condition, its implications and treatment. People in large numbers visited the village and underwent a comprehensive diabetes programme.