IIT-Mandi researcher to look into gender-related unique needs to control non-communicable diseases

A researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Mandi will look into gender-related unique needs to control non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in India.

The research funded by the HRD Ministry is aimed at strengthening the gender dimension in NCDs in order to reduce the increasing burden of these diseases among the female population in the country.

"Data related to diseases like cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases will be collected in multiple rounds from different development blocks of Punjab region. All the factors related to gender that affect health outcomes, systems, healthcare practices and treatment choices will be analysed in order to find out the grassroots causes of increasing gender differences in NCDs," said IIT professor Ramna Thakur, who will be conducting the study.

"To collect the data based on socio-economic factors beyond the usual parameters and to find out the focus points which could improve health outcomes in NCDs in females so that resources can be arranged according to their health needs in the country will be a part of this project. This project will help the government bodies in policy intervention," Thakur said.

During the research, all factors related to gender that affect health outcomes, systems, health care practices and treatment choices will also be analysed in order to find out the grassroots causes of increasing gender differences in NCDs.

"In this study, we will find out the focus points which could improve health outcomes in NCDs for females and will make resources available according to their health needs in the country. We'll study Punjab because it is among the richest states of India, but has some health indicators considerably below the national average. It ranks first in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and ischaemic heart disease-related deaths, second in diabetes and third in cancer (India: Health of the Nation's States, 2017)," the IIT professor said.

"It is not only the high incidence of these diseases there but the distribution among different gender is also alarming. We'll collect and use primary household-level data to investigate how gender and gender specific determinants contribute to health, Thakur added.