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India's Health Shift: Nadda Details Strategy to Tackle Non-Communicable Diseases

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda stated that combating Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is a top priority, as they account for 60% of deaths in India. He detailed a healthcare policy shift from 2017 focusing on preventive, promotive, and curative care, including the establishment of over 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs as first contact points. The government has conducted massive screening programs, diagnosing millions for conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and cancers. Infrastructure development includes 107 NCD clinics, 233 cardiac care units, and a plan for a daycare cancer centre in every district.

Key Points: India's NCD Strategy: Focus on Screening & Infrastructure

  • Multi-pronged NCD strategy
  • 60% of deaths from NCDs
  • 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
  • Massive screening for hypertension & diabetes
  • District-level cancer care centers
3 min read

Combating non-communicable diseases top priority: Health Minister Nadda​

Health Minister J.P. Nadda outlines India's multi-pronged plan to combat NCDs, highlighting massive screening drives and new healthcare infrastructure.

"in 2017 we came out with a holistic and inclusive health policy - Jagat Prakash Nadda"

New Delhi, April 21

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said on Tuesday that the government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to combat Non-Communicable Diseases as these account for 60 per cent of the total deaths in the country.​

Chairing a session titled "Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases in India: From Preventive to Care" during the 18th Civil Services Day celebrations, Nadda emphasised the importance of the theme of the session and underlined the transition in India's healthcare approach from preventive to curative care.​

He stated that "in 2017 we came out with a holistic and inclusive health policy, where we focused on preventive, promotive, curative, geriatric, rehabilitative, and palliative care." ​

Nadda highlighted that the country has performed very well in communicable diseases, while non-communicable diseases (NCDs) require more focus, as outcomes in NCDs take longer, and there is a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed.​

He added that "in the National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs, the focus has been on strengthening infrastructure, early diagnosis and early detection, Health promotion and Management of the disease, and timely referral".​

The Minister said, "Health promotion is certainly one of the major areas, and management of the disease and timely referral are also very important. So, these are the issues which we are trying to address as far as non-communicable diseases are concerned."​

Nadda stated that "in the past six years, we have been able to set up more than 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which are the first contact point between the 1.45 billion people and the health institutions.​

Each of these Ayushman centres has one ASHA worker, and wherever possible, other frontline health staff."​

He added that "in 2017, we decided that we would go for voluntary and enhanced screening." ​

Nadda also highlighted the positive outcomes of these efforts and stated that "we have developed around 107 non-communicable disease clinics at district-level points and 233 cardiac care units."​

He also added that "in this budget itself, it has been announced that every district will have a day care cancer centre."​

The Union Health Minister underscored the country's large-scale screening efforts to address NCDs.​

He emphasised that "since 2017, 41.5 crore people have been screened for hypertension, out of which 7.1 crore have been diagnosed and 5.7 crore people are notified."​

He added, "We have tried to ensure early detection to help make India healthy. For example, 41.3 crore people have been screened for diabetes, out of which 4.7 crore people have been found diabetic and 3.4 crore people are being treated. For oral cancer, 35.3 crore people have been screened so far, and 2.3 lakh people have been detected with oral cancer, and around 2 lakh people are being treated. Over 16.5 crore have been screened for breast cancer."​

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good to see concrete numbers. 1.85 lakh health centres is impressive scale. But the real challenge is ensuring quality care and medicines are available consistently in all these centres, especially in rural areas. Hope the focus on infrastructure continues.
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Aman W
The stats are eye-opening. 7.1 crore hypertensive patients! We need massive public awareness about lifestyle changes - less salt, less stress, more exercise. Government schemes must go hand-in-hand with public education.
S
Sarah B
As someone working in public health, I appreciate the holistic policy mentioned. The inclusion of geriatric and palliative care is vital for our aging population. The day care cancer centre per district announcement is a significant step if implemented well.
K
Karthik V
Screening numbers look good on paper, but what about follow-up treatment? Finding 4.7 crore diabetics is one thing, ensuring they get affordable insulin and proper dietary guidance for life is another. Hope the management part gets equal emphasis.
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Nisha Z
The ASHA workers are the true heroes here. One worker per centre is not enough given the population they serve. They need better pay, more support, and recognition. Their role in health promotion is irreplaceable.

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