According to a recent study released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)—National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Bengaluru, multifaceted approaches that include improved awareness, adherence to treatment, better preventive and counseling services are crucial to halt diabetes in India.

Also, expanding traditional systems of medicine (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy [AYUSH]) into diabetes prevention and control practices open solutions to manage this crisis.

The Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Monitoring Framework targets and indicators set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India adapted from the Global NCD framework (World Health Organization), calls for a need to halt the rise in diabetes and prevent premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025.

Such targets can be met only with effective strategies at multisectoral levels. However, an important limitation and quandary for policymakers are that majority of the population might be unaware of their diabetes status and are not adherent to advice.

Robust empirical data on diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, control and adherence is needed to comprehend the impact of initiatives taken to halt the growing burden of diabetes, response of health systems and health-seeking behaviors amongst the population. Understanding where diabetics are lost in the care cascade is essential for targeted health interventions.