The Rising NCD Challenge in India
Non-communicable diseases have emerged as India’s most significant health challenge, accounting for 65 percent of all deaths nationwide. Diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory conditions, and obesity continue to claim millions of lives annually. Health experts emphasize that addressing this crisis requires more than medical intervention—it demands systemic changes rooted in gender equity and community engagement.
During the annual Evidence2Policy dialogue organized by The George Institute for Global Health, India, healthcare leaders converged in the national capital to discuss bridging the critical “know-do gap” in public health policy implementation. The forum highlighted how theoretical knowledge must translate into practical, community-driven solutions to combat the NCD epidemic effectively.
Community Participation: A Game Changer
Empowering Local Leadership
Community involvement has proven instrumental in transforming healthcare delivery across India, particularly in underserved regions. Dr. Thomas Keppen, Deputy Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Nagaland, shared compelling evidence of community-driven success stories at the national capital event held on Friday.
“Community participation has helped improve infrastructure, service delivery, and health awareness, even in remote regions where challenges are many,” Dr. Keppen explained. His experience demonstrates that empowering local leaders and women to participate in healthcare planning and monitoring creates genuine ownership and sustainable transformation.
Building Transparent Systems
Dr. Keppen advocated for strengthening community-based approaches while emphasizing the importance of regular documentation. This systematic progress tracking makes healthcare systems more transparent, accountable, and sustainable. When communities actively participate in monitoring health initiatives, they become stakeholders invested in long-term outcomes rather than passive recipients of healthcare services.
Gender Equity in Healthcare Access
Beyond Women-Centric Approaches
Dr. Sumit Malhotra, Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS New Delhi, challenged conventional thinking about gender equity in NCD care. “Equity in NCD care is not only about women, but it is also about reaching men and every section of the community,” he stated. This inclusive perspective recognizes that comprehensive healthcare requires engaging all community members regardless of gender.
Reducing Geographical Barriers
Healthcare accessibility improves significantly when services reach people in their communities. Dr. Malhotra observed that women demonstrate greater willingness to seek care when healthcare facilities operate closer to home. However, he stressed the equal importance of developing strategies to engage men in preventive health measures and screening programs.
Strengthening Health Systems
Supporting Frontline Workers
The effectiveness of community health initiatives depends heavily on supporting frontline healthcare workers. Dr. Malhotra emphasized the critical need for ensuring regular medicine supplies and maintaining robust communication channels between different healthcare levels. These improvements make health systems more responsive, equitable, and efficient in addressing NCD challenges.
Integrated Care Approach
Health officials underscored the importance of creating seamless linkages across primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities. This integrated approach ensures patients receive appropriate care at each stage of their health journey, from screening and diagnosis to treatment and follow-up management.
National Programme Success Stories
Massive Screening Initiative
The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) operates as a population-based initiative under the National Health Mission (NHM) and Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC). This program has achieved remarkable screening numbers across the country.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, shared impressive statistics in Parliament. As of November 30, the NP-NCD portal documented:
- 39.79 crore hypertension screenings
- 39.60 crore diabetes screenings
- 33.57 crore oral cancer screenings
- 15.72 crore breast cancer screenings
Early Detection Benefits
“Population-based screening helps in better management of diseases by the way of early stage of detection, follow-up, and treatment adherence,” Minister Jadhav explained. These massive screening efforts enable healthcare providers to identify at-risk individuals before conditions progress to advanced stages, significantly improving treatment outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
Data-Driven Policy Implementation
Evidence-Based Decision Making
Health officials emphasized the crucial role of data-driven decision-making in formulating effective health policies. Accurate, timely data enables policymakers to identify emerging trends, allocate resources efficiently, and measure intervention effectiveness. The NP-NCD portal’s comprehensive database provides valuable insights for continuous program improvement.
Ensuring Universal Access
Equity-oriented health policies must prioritize universal access without imposing financial hardship on vulnerable populations. Strengthening health systems while maintaining affordability ensures that NCD prevention and treatment services reach every citizen, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographical location.
The path forward requires sustained commitment to gender equity, community participation, and systemic healthcare improvements to successfully combat India’s growing NCD burden.
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