State set to launch 4T campaign in fight against diabetes in children
Times of India | 6 September 2025
Kolkata: The state health department is set to expand its project to fight type 1 diabetes, aiming to identify more children with the autoimmune condition and bring them under treatment.
Apart from the awareness programmes at schools and the diabetes clinics, a pilot project is being planned for North 24 Parganas, where the state will launch its 4T campaign. "We will launch the 4T campaign—Thirst, Toilet (frequent urination), Thinness and Tiredness—named after the main symptoms of type 1 diabetes. The pilot project will be in all govt health facilities in North 24 Parganas," said IPGMER endocrinology professor Sujoy Ghosh, on the sidelines of 54th Annual Conference of the Endocrine Society of India.
All healthcare workers there and families will be told to look out for the 4 Ts in kids and if any of them shows the symptoms, he or she should be taken to clinics.
The health department also plans to add a question—‘if the family has a child with type 1 diabetes symptoms'—in the questionnaire that ASHA workers carry when they visit homes. Literature on the disease is also being created for awareness at schools.
The lack of awareness about the symptoms left many undiagnosed, said experts.
Bengal is the first state in the country to launch the type 1 diabetes clinic in 2022, the only known structured policy for children with the disease. "The type 1 diabetes project, under the guidance of Ghosh, now runs in 11 districts with approval from the state and the Centre. Screening, detection, treatment and follow-up are being provided free of cost," said Swapan Saren, state director of health services.
Around 1,500 children receive treatment and follow-up support at the type 1 diabetes clinics. The project is supported by National Health Mission, Unicef and other NGOs.
The four-day ESICON, which started on Thursday, saw the ESI coming together with the Geriatrics Society of India to launch a textbook on Geriatrics Endocrinology.