By Vivek Kamath
With the nation’s health system has concentrated on combatting the effects of the pandemic, care for chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has been put on the back burner. India bears a higher NCD burden than most nations – particularly in terms of cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, hypertension, cancer and diabetes. NCDs form the leading cause of mortality, with recent reports suggesting that the associated disease burden is only escalating. As of 2019, NCDs accounted for 65% of total deaths in India.
The National Noncommunicable Disease Monitoring Survey (NNMS), the largest national survey on risk factors and preparedness in India, further indicated that two in five adults have three or more risk factors for NCDs. NCDs pose a serious and growing health challenge, and the health ecosystem needs to nurture effective disease management and enable chronic care delivery to tackle this looming epidemic.
A three-pronged approach can help reprioritize NCD management, encompassing prevention, surveillance and early detection while driving patient-centric disease management.
Boosting India’s NCD strategy
India is already implementing a comprehensive, multi-sectoral action plan to expand the scope of primary healthcare to alleviate its NCD burden.
To augment the reach of primary healthcare and access to health for people in India, significant investments have been made through the Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat scheme with the vision to develop rural and urban health and wellness centres, integrated public health laboratories, virology centres and critical care hospitals. Most recently, the Union cabinet has approved a Rs. 23,123 crore package to improve medical infrastructure at primary and district health centres. While these are welcome moves in the right direction, efforts must be sustained to drive the nation forward towards the objective of a 25 per cent reduction in premature mortality due to NCDs by 2025. Here, leveraging public-private partnerships can be beneficial.
Screening programmes are key to facilitate primary care support and promote positive health behaviours. They can also provide logistical or technical assistance, with a focus on leveraging technology and digital tools and enabling training to equip healthcare practitioners with best practices and the skills necessary for NCD management and treatment.
For instance, to help address the growing NCD burden in India, Abbott, along with NGO partner AmeriCares, is supporting the government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme by facilitating the upgrading of 16 primary health centers to health and wellness centers across four states. This includes better infrastructure, equipment and services. We are also investing in capacity-building and continuing education of the community healthcare, or ASHA workers, who act as a vital link between the health facilities and communities. Our goal with this program is to create quality, affordable services and infrastructure, as well as improve better health behaviours and lifestyle changes amongst communities.
Prioritising patient education and early risk identification
Empowering individuals with reliable knowledge to identify risk factors can overcome challenges of low NCD awareness. Patient education can enable vulnerable individuals to take precautions, monitor worrying symptoms and get screened promptly. The benefits of risk identification also include timely intervention, early disease diagnosis and targeted treatment.
According to a survey conducted by the ICMR and National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), adolescents in India have a high level of exposure to risk factors for non-communicable diseases, including poor diet, physical inactivity, obesity and tobacco use.
Only two-thirds of this population had been educated on NCD risk factors in educational institutes. Given India has one of the world’s youngest population, pursuing a national strategy of patient education targeted at younger people is imperative. This, paired with epidemiological research and mapping of demographic risk factors as well as lifestyle behaviours, will be prudent to enhance NCD prevention. As a global healthcare leader, Abbott helps address the challenge of NCDs through life-changing technologies spanning diagnostics, devices, nutritional products and medicines. This can include targeted nutritional solutions, real-time monitoring or access to quality medicines.
Sustaining care through health advancements
Advancements in health tech can play an important role and have proven to be a boon in navigating NCDs during the pandemic. Data-driven approaches to care, powered by wearable and at-home monitoring devices, as well as telemedicine, have come to the fore, proving particularly useful in conditions needing frequent monitoring like diabetes. Moreover, with user-friendly health apps, guided by behavioural science principles that promote better compliance with doctor recommendations, patients can manage existing lifestyle conditions better. Digital interventions offer the advantages of scaling health solutions while also customizing care to the unique needs of each patient.
Concerted efforts to address NCDs in India are necessary. Evidence-based patient education, promotion of lifestyle modifications, risk identification and health surveillance, early screening and diagnosis, targeted interventions, and the adoption of digitally-enabled monitoring tools are all necessary on a national scale to close knowledge-action gaps and enable locally relevant NCD control.
Facilitating a streamlined and integrated system is key to holistic NCD management in India. Such a system can tackle NCDs to help India shape a healthier future. By leveraging public and private sphere synergies, we can work collectively towards this end.
(The author is Managing Director, Abbott India Ltd. The article is for informational purposes only. Please consult health experts and medical professionals before starting any therapy or medication. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)
