P.V.Anandpadmanabhan
Union Minister , Dr. Jitendra Singh yesterday launched an indigenously developed, cost-effective diagnostic test kit, the first of its kind in India, for the autoimmune “Celiac disease”, which is a lifelong intestinal disorder manifesting as intolerance to certain foods such as wheat, barley, etc. with symptoms like recurring abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss.
The diagnostic kit has been developed by Department of Biotechnology in the Union Ministry of Science & Technology through a project sponsored by it with the involvement of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and an industrial partner, M/s. J. Mitra & Co. The diagnostic assay test, through this method, will be affordable, rapid, sensitive and more specific, allowing prompt therapeutic interventions.
, Dr Jitendra Singh said, expensive treatment of longstanding diseases poses a huge financial burden and especially autoimmune disorders occurring at young age also take a toll of the vital productive years, thus depriving the nation of its immense youth power, particularly at a time when more than 65% of India’s population is below the age of 35 years.
