India joins global effort to combat non-communicable diseases

[Guest guest]

Kounteya Sinha, TNN | Mar 9, 2011, 02.47am . DELHI: After the United Nations

summit on HIV in 2001, that made the entire world come together to fight the

deadly AIDS-causing virus, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are all set to

receive a similar push in New York this year.

To be attended by the who's who, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from

India, the historic UN General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs on

September 19 will decide on how to better prevent, diagnose and treat cancer,

cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, which

together are responsible for eight million deaths in South-East Asia annually.

Prior to this UN meeting, the first global ministerial conference on NCDs is

being held in Moscow on April 28 which will be attended by Union health minister

Ghulam Nabi Azad. The conference will highlight the magnitude and socio-economic

impact of NCDs, review international experience on NCD prevention and control

and provide evidence on the pressing need to strengthen global and national

initiatives to prevent NCDs.

The World Health Assembly in Geneva in May will again take up the issue of NCDs.

Just recently, India was among the countries which attended a meeting of the

South-East Asia (SEARO) region on NCDs in Jakarta, organized by the World Health

Organisation.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has called a meeting on March 14 to discuss

the country's national programme against NCDs with the Union health ministry.

NCDs are the leading cause of death in this SEARO region accounting for 54% of

all deaths. Experts say NCDs have a substantial economic impact because

working-age adults account for a high proportion of the disease burden.

There are estimates that NCDs will reduce the GDP by 1-5% in countries like

India. NCDs caused 54.66 lakh deaths in India in 2005, 53% of the country's

total deaths. They are now the health ministry's main worry.

The leading causes of deaths in India among NCDs are cardiovascular disease

(29.89 lakh), diabetes (1.75 lakh), cancer (5 lakh) and respiratory diseases

(6.74 lakh).

India recently approved the National Programme for Prevention and Control of

Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) and allocated Rs

1,230.90 crore for its roll-out in 100 districts.

According to WHO, cardiovascular diseases will be the largest cause of death and

disability in India by 2020. It is estimated that the overall prevalence of

diabetes, hypertension, Ischemic Heart Diseases (IHD) and stroke is 62.47,

159.46, 37.00 and 1.54, respectively, per 1000 population of India.

Additionally, there are around 25 lakh cancer cases in India.

A ministry official said, " Till now, programmes to combat NCDs, which are the

cause of 60% of all deaths, were under-funded. NCDs also remained a low priority

and are not included in the Millennium Development Goals. The high level

meetings running up to the UN NCD summit should change that. "

" The NPCDCS which will be implemented in 20,000 sub-centres and 700 community

health centres across 15 states is expected to screen over seven crore adults

(30 years and above) for diabetes and hypertension, early diagnosis and

treatment of NCDs. About 32,000 health personnel would be trained on targeted

screening, diagnosis and management of NCDs, " sources added.

In the SEARO region, while infectious diseases are dwindling, NCDs are on the

rise. While deaths due to NCDs will see a 21% increase, deaths due to infectious

diseases will fall by 17%. Major risk factors for NCDs are raised blood

pressure, cholesterol, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, alcohol

consumption and obesity, which are modifiable.

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