NCDs Alarm Demands Bold Steps

India is first country to develop targets, indicators to reduce global premature deaths from NCDs by 25 per cent by 2025.

- Kalyani Sharma

One out of four Indians face the risk of dying from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) before they turn 70. NCDs represent the largest cause of death, in India as well as globally, with the percentage of premature deaths caused by cancer, heart disease, diabetes and lung infection increasing steeply from 42 in 2012 to 70 in 2015, according to WHO.

NCDs affect all age groups. And the WHO report that “16 million of all deaths attributed to non-communicable diseases occur before the age of 70. Of these “premature” deaths, 82 per cent occurred in low and middle income countries. Children, adults and the elderly are all vulnerable to the risk factors” throws out the assumption that the ailment is often associated with older age groups.

NCDs are defined as chronic diseases that are not transmitted from one person to another. They are characterised by slow progression and long duration. The four main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancer, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes. These four diseases are largely caused by behavioral risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and alcohol use. Additional risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol and blood glucose are tied to lifestyle choices.