Guwahati: More than four per cent of Assam's population is diabetic and the increase in the number of such patients annually is 3.73 per cent and rising, according to a Diabetic Prevalence Study done in Assam in 2014.

Diabetologist Rupam Choudhury said this at a diabetes awareness programme at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), here today.

World Diabetes Day was observed here on Tuesday by several organisations and institutions, including Piramal Swasthya, Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India, Down Town Hospital and the USTM.

Piramal Swasthya observed the day in collaboration with the non-communicable disease cell, National Health Mission, Assam and World Diabetes Foundation, Denmark. The event began with a "Diabetes walk" near Anuradha cinema at Bamunimaidam to Chandmari to spread awareness. Leaflets containing important information on diabetes, including its signs and symptoms, were also distributed.

"Diabetes kills one person in every eight seconds. Around 13 lakh people are diabetic in Assam," diabetologist Rupam Choudhury said.