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Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD)

Posted 24 Mar 2025

Updated 27 Mar 2025

5 min read

Why in the News?

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched the Intensified Special NCD Screening Drive.

About Screen Drive on NCD

  • Aim: To achieve 100% screening of all individuals aged 30 years and above for prevalent NCDs and three common cancers—Oral, Breast, and Cervical.
  • Implementation: Through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) and various healthcare facilities nationwide, under National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD).
    • Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are established under Ayushman Bharat initiative by upgrading existing Rural and Urban PHCs/Sub Centers.

About NP-NCD:

  • Background:
    • Launch: NP-NCD, formerly known as National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio- vascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) was launched in 2010 across 100 districts in 21 states to combat NCDs as part of 11th Five Year Plan.
    • 12th Five Year Plan: Proposed phased expansion to cover all districts.
    • 2013-14: Subsumed under National Health Mission (NHM) which is a flagship centrally sponsored scheme to achieve universal access to affordable and quality health care services?
  • Objectives of NP-NCD:
    • Health promotion through behavior change with involvement of community, civil society, media etc.
    • Screening, early diagnosis, management and follow-up at each level to ensure continuum of care.
    • Capacity building, Strengthening supply chain management for drugs, equipment and logistics, Monitoring and evaluation through a uniform ICT application.

About Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

  • NCDs are chronic diseases that are not transmissible from one person to another. 
  • Main types of NCDs are Cardiovascular Diseases (such as heart attacks and Stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes. 
    • When these are caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, these diseases are also called lifestyle diseases.
  • NCDs tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral risk factors.
An infographic titled

Burden of NCDs

  • Global Scenario: 
    • NCDs are number 1 cause of death and disability worldwide, accounting for 74% of all deaths and more than three out of four years lived with a disability.
    • Burden is greatest within low- and middle-income countries, where 77 percent of all NCD deaths occurred.
An infographic titled
  • Four top killers that together account for more than 80% of all premature NCD deaths annually include cardiovascular diseases (17·9 million), cancers (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million).
  • Indian Scenario (Please refer Infographic)

Impact of NCDs:

  • NCDs in childhood: Causes about 1.2–4.2 fewer years of completed education.
  • Higher out of pocket medical expenditure: Overall, travel costs are the primary out-of-pocket expense for many Indian patients with NCDs. 
  • Life expectancy: Life expectancy is lowest at the age of 15 among lowest education groups due to higher death rates during 30–69 years from NCDs.
  • Economic impact: WHO projects the economic burden of NCDs (E.g. Household health expenditure, Budget expenditure etc.) in India to surpass ₹280 lakh crore by 2030.
  • Poverty: The rapid rise in NCDs is predicted to impede poverty reduction initiatives in low-income countries, particularly by increasing household costs associated with health care.
  • Gendered Impact: The prevalence of NCDs among women is 62 per 1,000, as compared to 36 per 1,000 men.
  • Other Impact: Low human capital, unhealthy labor force, revenue loss, etc.
  • Initiatives for Controlling NCDs
    • Global
      • 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: SDG target 3.4 aims to reduce premature NCD mortality by one-third by 2030.
      • WHO Global Action Plan: World Health Assembly extended the WHO Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013–2020 to 2030.
      • Global NCD Compact 2020–2030: By WHO aims to accelerate progress on the prevention and control of NCDs.
    • Indian: 
      • Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) aims to provide affordable medicines for the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases etc.
      • Eat Right India movement by FSSAI promotes healthy eating.
      • Fit India Movement: Launched in 2019 aims to promote a physically active lifestyle and make fitness an integral part of daily life in India.
      • National Oral Health Programme: Launched to provide integrated, comprehensive oral health care in the existing healthcare facilities.
      • National Mental Health Programme (NMHP): Launched in 1982 to ensure availability and accessibility of minimum mental healthcare for all in the foreseeable future.
      • National Programme for healthcare of Elderly (NPHCE): It was launched in 2010 to address various health related problems of elderly people.
      • National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP): Launched in 2007-08 for creating awareness about tharmful effects of tobacco consumption; reduce production and supply of tobacco products etc.

Recommendations for Prevention and Control of NCDs:

  • Comprehensive Approach: To lessen the impact of NCDs collaboration across sectors like health, finance, transport, education, and agriculture is crucial.
  • NCD Management: Investing in better management of NCDs is critical. It includes detection, screening, treatment, and palliative care, ideally through primary healthcare for early intervention.
  • Digital Health Interventions (DHIs): An additional US$0.24 per patient per year in DHIs, including telemedicine, mobile messaging, and chatbots, could Save over 2 million lives from NCDs over next decade.
  • Leveraging fiscal tools: To reduce risk factors e.g. raising taxes on tobacco, Salt, sugar etc.
  • Life-course approach to NCDs: Prevention and Management of NCDs along with other policy reforms like labor markets, social protection and long-term care.
  • Policy Efforts: Increased government expenditure, encouraging private sector investments to address issue of regional imbalance in availability of human resources & infrastructure for treatment of chronic NCDs.
  • Tags :
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • NCDs
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
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