‘High prevalence of diabetes, hypertension in Telangana’s rural and urban areas’

A doctor screening a patient at one of the HHF screenings camps set up in Rangareddy district.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A door-to-door survey conducted between January and August has revealed alarming levels of diabetes and hypertension cases across rural and urban regions of Ranga Reddy district in Telangana. The survey, which screened 10,400 people in over 10 villages in the Kandukur and Maheshwaram mandals, found more than 25% of the population suffering from these non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The study, conducted by Hyderabad-based NGO Helping Hands Foundation (HHF), was part of its Rural NCD Outreach Programme. Trained counsellors used a specialised app to gather health data on conditions like diabetes and hypertension from villages such as Maheshwaram, Nagaram, Kandukur, Mucherla, Mirkhantpet, and nearby hamlets. However, due to logistical challenges, HHF could not carry out door-to-door screenings in urban and peri-urban slum areas within a 50-km radius of Hyderabad. Instead, data from approximately 5,000 people screened at various HHF clinics in areas like Hakeempet, Wadi e Mahmood, Kishanbagh, Kalapather, and others showed 2,570 cases of diabetes and hypertension, said Mujtaba Hasan Askari of HHF.

Age-based findings

The survey highlighted differences in disease prevalence across age groups and regions. Among those aged 31 to 50 in urban and peri-urban areas, 32% had hypertension, compared to 22.9% in rural areas. Diabetes in this age group was almost twice as prevalent in urban areas (49%) compared to rural areas (26%). Furthermore, co-morbidities were 50% higher among urban residents aged 30 to 50 years than their rural counterparts.

For individuals over the age of 50, rural populations showed a higher prevalence of both diseases. Hypertension rates were 72.9% in rural areas, compared to 64.8% in urban regions. Similarly, diabetes was recorded in 67% of rural residents over 50, compared to 43% in urban areas.

The survey underscored a lack of disease control in rural areas, where nearly 40% of diabetics had poor control of their blood sugar levels, with HbA1c levels above 7.5 mg/dl (normal range is below 5.7 mg/dl). Contributing factors include low awareness of diet and lifestyle, high consumption of rice and alcohol, poor medication adherence, and limited access to healthcare facilities.

Mr. Mujtaba said, “Rural areas face significant barriers to managing these conditions due to inadequate healthcare access and lower awareness. In contrast, urban populations have better access to healthcare services, allowing for relatively improved management of diabetes and hypertension.”

The survey also revealed that only 25% of patients in both urban and rural areas rely on medications from Primary Health Centres (PHCs) or government hospitals. Many patients expressed concerns about the quality of available medicines and the absence of multi-drug combinations, leading to higher out-of-pocket expenses, said Mr Mujtaba.