Non-Communicable diseases pose a threat of premature death on 25% Indians: WHO

Health is a major concern issue for everyone nowadays as the lifestyle that we are leading has made us prone to a lot of health problems. Such health issues can lead us to the risk of premature death. Many of you might have read this term, ‘Premature Death’ for the first time in your life, but now after knowing about the report published by World Health Organization (WHO), you will hear the term many times. And it is quite possible that you will be afraid of it too.

The Premature Deaths are deaths that happen to occur before the person attains and lives their expected life age, for instance, the age of 70 years. Many of these deaths are considered preventable but are really harmful to the health of the nation. Cancer, heart diseases, diabetes and lung diseases are the major premature death causes. As far as the data is concerned, such premature death has raised to 70% of all global deaths in the year 2015 as compared to three years back data of 42% in 2012. The data has clearly posed a threat to the sustainable development of the nation. Such diseases are termed as Non-Communicable Diseases. In simpler terms, NCD is a medical condition or a disease which is neither infectious nor it is transmissible; they last for a long time period and progress slowly attacking the core of the human body.

WHO’s latest report on the health of Indians states that one in every four persons in India is risked of dying from NCDs, representing it the largest cause of death. The UN’s report has alarmed the country to start taking this issue seriously and extend their support to intensify the national action to meet the global targets of the Indian government that they have agreed in order to protect their people from NCDs. The Health Ministry had already a program running since 2008, National Programme for Prevention & Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke. Initially, it covered around 100 districts but now it has been approved for over 500 districts in the country. The NCD clinics have been opened up under the scheme, with 300 districts getting dedicated clinics and rest 85 clinics in all over the country. Retail stores like AMRIT has also been opened by the ministry to make cancer and cardiovascular drugs available to common man at a heavily discounted price. India is also the first country to develop specific national targets and indicators aimed at reducing the number of premature deaths from NCDs by 25 percent by 2025.

The Assistant Director-General at WHO, Dr. Oleg Chestnov said that “Countries, including some of the poorest, are showing it is feasible to make progress and reduce premature deaths from NCDs. But that progress, particularly in low and middle-income countries, is insufficient and uneven”. Non-Communicable Diseases in India are becoming a matter of concern as no nation can develop with such major proportion of mortality and morbidity. Although WHO has recognized the efforts that the Indian Government is making control mortality from these diseases, it explains that countries like India and China need to speed up efforts to meet the global commitments. The UN agency has stressed on the need for countries to regulate trade and marketing of unhealthy or harmful products including sugar-sweetened beverages and packaged food high in sugar and salt. So, it is our duty to be careful while choosing our food and lifestyle so that we could lead a healthy life.

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