Tamil Nadu Expands Specialized Diabetes Care for Children

As of November 2025, the Tamil Nadu government is taking significant steps to address the rising prevalence of diabetes in the state. According to the Health Minister, the diabetes prevalence in Tamil Nadu currently stands at 13%, higher than the national average of 12%.

To improve specialized care for diabetes patients, particularly children with type 1 diabetes, the state plans to scale up the number of dedicated care centers in the government sector. Currently, there are 7 such centers functional at various medical college hospitals. Within the next 2 months, 3 additional centers will be set up at government medical colleges in Tiruvarur, Namakkal, and Chidambaram. The goal is to eventually expand these centers to all 36 government medical colleges across Tamil Nadu.

Furthermore, the state has made substantial progress in identifying and treating diabetes and hypertension under its "Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam" healthcare scheme. As of November 2025, a total of 58,53,666 persons have been diagnosed with diabetes, and 54,75,278 have been diagnosed with both diabetes and hypertension. The government is also focusing on early identification and prevention of diabetic foot complications, with 45,349 cases identified and 26,448 surgeries performed in the last 2 years.

The Tamil Nadu government's proactive approach to expanding specialized diabetes care and implementing comprehensive screening and treatment programs aims to address the growing health challenge posed by the diabetes epidemic in the state.