The double whammy of COVID and Diabetes has been a wake up call for all of us specially during the second wave. Diabetic patients presented with severe illness and the requirement for hospitalization and risk of mortality was significantly higher in diabetic patients. We have all witnessed the sharp rise in patients presenting with steroid induced diabetes and mucormycosis. The high prevalence of diabetes, majority of them being uncontrolled and an even larger number of prediabetic and undiagnosed diabetic patients, made it worse.

A group of senior scientists Dr. Jothydev Kesavadev, Dr. Anoop Misra , Dr. Banshi Saboo, Dr. S R Aravind, Dr. Akhtar Hussain, Dr. Leszek Czupryniak and Dr. Itamar Raz recommended that blood glucose levels should be considered as new vital sign. The systematic review paper published by group in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews concluded that abnormal blood glucose levels significantly increase the risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients. 

Research Society For Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) has launched a nationwide campaign "Defeat Diabetes" from 1st of July 2021 to create awareness among general people regarding importance of testing and monitoring blood sugar levels. A task force of 10000 doctors has been created with the aim of reaching out to 100 million people in next 100 days. 

We seek your support in spreading a simple message - "Test, Track and Treat" through social media and other means available. If you are not a diabetic test your blood sugar, If you are diabetic Track your sugar levels and if your sugars are high Treat it. 

Your help in sharing this petition on social media would help us reach 100 million people in next 100 days. Having these signatures we will reach out to The Director General of World Health Organization requesting him to declare blood sugar as the fifth vital sign. Kindly help out for this nobel cause by pressing the share button.