The two-day Annual Global Diabetes Convention organised by P.Kesavadev Trust and Jothydev’s Diabetes Research Centre, was conducted at Kovalam on 12th & 13th August 2017. As a part of the event, for the first time in the history of JPEF annual conventions, P.Kesavadev JPEF Award for the best researcher in diabetes was presented to Dr.Riddhi Das Gupta, Assistant Professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore for his contributions to the world of diabetes research for his research on Euglycemic-Hyperinsulinemic Pancreatic Clamp based comprehensive metabolic study among Fibrocalcific Pancreatic Diabetes (FCPD) patients.

According to Dr.Satish Garg (Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado, USA), the scientific community is now eagerly looking into newer alternatives to insulin for managing Type 1 diabetes. The conference also shed light on the fact that liver diseases and diabetic foot diseases also seems to be on the rise among diabetes patients than the earlier times. Most of the times, the high frequency of diabetic foot diseases confronted among the patients is due to the lack of proper awareness among the clinicians as well as the patients to identify the disease at its early stages. Another major problem that requires immediate attention among the clinician community is regarding the high incidence of sexual dysfunction among diabetes patients. Unfortunately, according to the recent statistics, only 4% of the doctors take efforts to discuss about sexual dysfunction with their patients. By promoting healthy discussion with the patients this major health concern can be managed to a greater extent.

The JPEF Annual Global Convention found participation of more than 850 distinguished diabetes health specialists from all over India as well as from other countries like USA and Germany.