New Delhi, November 22
India is all set to take a big leap forward in the field of screening diabetes with the Ministry of Health ready to launch an affordable diabetes diagnostic strip by the end of this year.

Costing Rs 3 to 5 as against the currently available market alternatives for Rs 15 to 30, the new diabetes screening strips and readers would enable potential diabetics to screen their sugar levels at home enabling them to seek treatment.

"These are only screening strips which will indicate the sugar levels with about 95 per cent accuracy and some variation. Once a person knows his status, he or she can take medical help. Four low cost diabetes screening technologies are in the final stages of testing at four research institutes across India. We will commercialise soon and hopefully launch by year end," said Dr VM Katoch, head, Indian Council of Medical Research.

Most of the diabetes cases in India go untreated because they cannot be diagnosed in time.