SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
The APEC Health Working Group has proposed that the escalating burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) requires a transition from traditional physician-led care to an Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) approach. In the report titled Diminishing Burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Community through an Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) Approach released in January 2026, experts found that the complexity of diabetes management—ranging from pathophysiology to lifestyle modification—cannot be effectively addressed by a single medical discipline. Instead, the “Manado Recommendation” advocates for a unified health system where doctors, nurses, dietitians, and physical therapists operate as a single multidisciplinary team to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Core Pillars of the IPC Approach The strategy focuses on decentralizing diabetes care and moving toward a model centered on remission rather than just management:
Community-Based Empowerment: Shifting the focus of care from tertiary hospitals to primary health centers and community-led health posts (Posbindu) to improve early detection and long-term monitoring.
Specialized Remission Training: Economies are encouraged to implement specialized training programs for healthcare providers focused on the science of diabetes remission, covering diet, physical activity, and patient engagement strategies.
Unified Digital Governance: Strengthening health information systems to ensure seamless data sharing between different health professionals, reducing fragmented care and improving the continuity of treatment.
What is “Interprofessional Collaboration” (IPC) in the context of the 2026 T2DM strategy? Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) is a partnership-based care model where multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work together with patients, families, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care. Unlike traditional multidisciplinary teams that work in silos, IPC involves shared decision-making and a “team-of-teams” approach, ensuring that a patient’s nutritional, physical, and medical needs are managed simultaneously rather than through separate, disconnected consultations.
Policy Relevance
The adoption of the IPC model offers a strategic blueprint for strengthening India’s public health infrastructure and addressing the “diabetes capital” challenge.
Operationalizing Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: The IPC framework provides a roadmap for transforming India’s 1.6 lakh Health and Wellness Centres into ‘Remission Hubs’ by empowering Mid-Level Health Providers (MLHPs) and ASHA workers to lead community-based lifestyle interventions.
Mitigating Tertiary Burden: Institutionalizing multidisciplinary teams at the primary level can significantly reduce the patient load on overburdened tertiary hospitals, preventing the transition of T2DM into costly complications like diabetic retinopathy and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
National Skills Alignment: Implementing ‘Remission-Focused Training’ aligns with the National Skill Development Mission, creating a new cadre of certified diabetes educators and specialized nursing professionals capable of delivering clinical nutrition and physical therapy.
Digital Integration via ABDM: The call for unified digital governance supports the Ayushmaan Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), ensuring that a patient’s nutritional and glycemic data is accessible to the entire care team, thereby eliminating fragmented treatment and ensuring data-backed clinical decisions.
Follow the full news here: Diminishing Burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Community through an Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) Approach