Medical practitioners and health policy analysts across India have strongly advocated the need for an integrated action plan to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.
Lauding the inclusion of NCDs for the first time in the draft National Health Policy 2015, health experts said it is important to have a result-oriented action plan with focus on awareness and early diagnosis, systematic approach to NCDs, healthcare financing, and training and development of healthcare workers and paramedical staff.
Dr. Kenneth Thorpe, chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases (PFCD), said, “NCDs is the major cause of mortality in India. Building and strengthening primary healthcare network with focus on disease screening, prevention, risk factor control, and health promotion should form the rudimentary structure of the integrated action plan to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with NCDs.”
The PFCD is an internationally-recognised non-governmental organisation of patients, providers and community organisations.
He said that training and development of healthcare workers in primary set-ups as well as healthcare financing is equally critical for effective implementation of the action plan.
NCDs also affect productivity and economic growth. A recent study by the WHO has found that nearly 26 per cent of the population in India is at the risk of dying young of one of the four main NCDs.
Dr. Anand Krishnan, Professor, Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS, said, “India is facing a serious threat from NCDs. A lot has been said about the prevention and control of NCDs.’’
It is crucial that both the government and private sector should adopt a unified approach and work in close coordination to identify effective solutions and reduce NCDs’ burden, he added.
A release issued by the PFCD said that strengthening of primary healthcare network is one such critical area where the government needs to focus on in order to ensure the success of its action plan.
