Non-communicable diseases to cost India around $3.6 trillion by 2030

New Delhi: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease and cancer, cause 63% of all deaths in India. They are also expected to cost India $3.55 trillion in lost economic output between 2012 and 2030. To fight this, the Indian government has updated its guidelines for preventing and controlling these diseases.

The union health ministry on Wednesday revised the operational guidelines of National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) that underscore the growing financial burden of NCDs on individuals and the economy, a situation that's driving a focus on primary and secondary prevention to improve the quality of care services.

In line with Sustainable Development Goal 3, the global ambition is to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030. To this end, the Indian government has rebranded and expanded the National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS) into the NP-NCD, broadening its scope to include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Asthma, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

The guidelines have been shared with the states/UTs for implementation.

VK Paul, a member, health, NITI Aayog, urged states to enhance prevention and management of Hypertension, with a focus on private sector engagement to ensure at least 80% of diagnosed patients receive the necessary screening and treatment.

The human impact of NCDs in India is most severe among those over 30 years old, with cardiovascular diseases being the leading cause of NCD-related deaths at 27%, followed by chronic respiratory diseases (11%), cancers (9%), diabetes (3%), and other diseases (13%).

The ministry is aiming to provide standard care to 75 million people with hypertension and diabetes by 2025, representing the world's largest coverage of NCDs in primary healthcare.