Ayush Ministry releases India's first comprehensive NCD survey
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New Delhi, Jan 28: The National Non-Communicable Disease Monitoring Survey (NNMS) was recently released in India by the Ministry of health. The survey was conducted for the period of 2017-18 and is the first of its kind of comprehensive survey on NCD. It covers the age groups of 15-69 years, males and females from the urban and rural areas. Awareness on reducing physical inactivity to combat NCD was stressed upon.
The NCD survey was released when Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister of Family Welfare was presiding over the foundation day celebrations and launch of the decadal year of the Indian Council of Medial Research - National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (ICMR-NCDIR), Bengaluru through a video conference. Along with the results from the largest comprehensive national survey on risk factors and health systems preparedness of Non-communicable Diseases (NCD), the Union Health Minister also released framework on use of telemedicine for cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and stroke.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan shared his deep gratitude on behalf of the whole country to the scientists of ICMR for their immeasurable contribution in controlling the pandemic. He said, “The year 2020 brings back memories of gloom due to COVID. Yet, it has also sowed Hope. It was also the year of Science and Scientists. They not only eased the pressure on testing kits by developing indigenous kits but reversed the position completely with indigenous testing kits now being exported worldwide. ICMR was one of the first organizations worldwide to have isolated the virus as well as the mutant strain and has contributed in creating a biorepository of potential drug targets.” He added, “India is now producing and supplying vaccines to many countries out of which one is developed indigenously in entirety; the entire scientific community should be credited for the achievement.”
The report highlights that, two in five adults have three or more risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCD) in India. Further, the status of health system to respond to the disease burden is underscored. It also states that more than one in every four adults and 6.2 per cent adolescents were overweight or obese. Three out of ten adults had raised blood pressure and 3 per cent had raised blood glucose. The report shows that more than two in five adults and one in four adolescents were doing insufficient physical activity and the average daily intake of salt was 8 gm for these children. One in every three adults and more than one-fourth proportion of men were involved in tobacco consumption and consumed alcohol in past 12 months.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan noted, “The survey was undertaken to provide baseline information on NCD risk factors and it highlights the need to improve comprehensive multi-sectoral approaches focused on both prevention and management of NCDs. Regular surveillance of NCDs is critical to monitor the trends and to guide the interventions.” He highlighted the need for stronger collaborative efforts to tackle health problems on a national level and said “AIIMS Jhajjar has become a centre for excellent Cancer Care. Co-operation between health practitioners and researchers is the way forward and the mode of video-conferences, which has surfaced in the times of COVID, should be utilized to the maximum.” He also stated that “A WHO survey some years back found that 45% of NCDs are a result of physical inactivity. The Fit India Movement has gained significant momentum in generating awareness regarding this which needs to be further amplified. More gyms and exercise centers will invariably lessen the need for hospital infrastructure.”