National summit on NCDs: A step in the right direction - IHP

"The two-day National Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases is a much needed move in support of the nation’s fight against NCDs,” says India Health Progress, an independent forum which itself has undertaken various initiatives and multi-stakeholder approaches to address this major issue.

A round table conference organized by India Health Progress (IHP) in October last year focused on the growing social and economic burden of NCDs in India, drawing inference from a report by the Cameron Institute on the same theme. The report stated that, “In addition to the obvious effects that morbidity and mortality have, the burden of these diseases on the country’s economy is often substantial in terms of loss of productivity, loss of employment, and health care expenditures. The projected cumulative loss of national income for India due to non communicable disease mortality for 2006-2015 will be USD237 billion. By 2030, this productivity loss was expected to double to 17.9 million years lost – almost 1,000% greater than the corresponding loss in the United States (US), which has a population a third the size of India’s.”

NCDs today are rising at an alarming rate and threatening the health of the urban and rural population alike. There is an immediate need to battle this problem through meaningful dialogue, strong commitment and serious investment. These measures are essential for the health of India as well as its economic progress.

The proposed Comprehensive National Programme to prevent and control NCDs would be a rational path to deal with the issue. But action would be as imperative as ideation. The proposal needs effectual implementation to yield results. Emphasis on focused top level policy making and planning as well as effective grass root execution would be needed together to free the nation from the grip of NCDs.