The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) head R. M. Anjana has been appointed as Chair of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Working Group on Physical Activity. The appointment was announced by Prof Peter Schwarz, President of IDF, at a ceremony held at the Mohan Diabetes Centre in Chennai.
As Chair, Dr. Anjana will spearhead the global “IDF ACTIVE” initiative — a programme designed to promote physical activity worldwide, with an eye on reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Anjana emphasized that “physical inactivity is a major global driver of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.” She noted alarming statistics — 81% of adolescents and 27.5% of adults worldwide fail to meet the physical-activity recommendations set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The IDF ACTIVE Initiative, she said, aims to shift from mere dialogue to concrete, community-level action to boost physical activity globally.
Her appointment underscores IDF’s commitment to translating global evidence into grassroots-level programmes, and bringing together experts, community stakeholders and policymakers to address the growing challenge of inactivity and lifestyle-related diseases.
(Photo courtesy: linkedin/dr-anjana-ranjit-mohan)