Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly regarded as a lifestyle disease, used to be a disease
of affluent societies in the days of yore. However, now it has encroached into the
rural and tribal communities as well. This narrative review provides us with an understanding
of the epidemiology of diabetes burden in tribes of India. Around 15% of the country′s
area is covered by tribals and it constitutes ~8.6% (i. e., ~104 million) of India′s
total population. Prevalence of diabetes in tribal areas ranges from around 1% to
10%. Hence, intensive efforts directed towards filling the gaps in awareness levels
and the operational research or other data gaps would help prevent and control the
problem of diabetes and fill these gaps in tribal areas.
Diabetes - health programs - India - prevalence - tribe
