Blueprint on chronic diseases calls for preventive care

The government needs to adopt a multi-sectoral approach and a preventive rather than curative focus to combat the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, diabetes, cardiac and respiratory disorders among others, says a blueprint on chronic diseases.

Taking note that NCDs contribute to 53 per cent of India’s total disease burden, resulting in 60 per cent of the total deaths, a meeting of experts hosted here by global health advocacy group, Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases (PFCD), also urged the government to go in for more public-private partnerships in the sector.

A blueprint to address the burden of NCDs released by Soumya Swaminathan, DG, Indian Council of Medical Research, suggested integration of all programmes for chronic diseases under one comprehensive unit under the Ministry of Health, active involvement of the department concerned at the Central and State levels and setting up of an ‘empowered committee of secretaries, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, to oversee the government’s ‘Health of All’ policies.

Suggesting policies to encourage lifestyle changes, the blueprint also called for introduction of exercises or yoga in all educational institutions, healthy menus decided by State-identified nutritionists in school and college canteens, ban on alcohol and cigarette shops within 2 km radius of schools and colleges, gyms at workplaces and medical check-up camps for employees, among others.

“An integrated and evidence-based chronic disease management framework is missing in India, Kennteh Thorpe, Chairman, PFCD, said in a release, adding that the blueprint could be a “formative step” toward achieving the vision of a healthy India by 2025.