What’s India’s exact lifestyle diseases burden? We’re finding out, MoS health tells LS

“Diabetes prevalence varies from 4.3% in Bihar to 13.6% in Chandigarh,” said minister of state (health) Anupriya Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

“Diabetes prevalence varies from 4.3% in Bihar to 13.6% in Chandigarh,” said minister of state (health) Anupriya Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Patel was quoting figures from various studies, including an on-going Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The ICMR study— ICMR-INDIAB, covering both urban and rural population in all states and Union territories is trying to ascertain the exact number of diabetic patients.

Fifteen states have been covered so far and the prevalence of According to a report published by International Diabetes Federation, the number of people with diabetes (20-79 years) in urban India was about 30.5 millions in 2013.

Faulty lifestyle— increased consumption of junk food, lack of adequate exercise, sedentary lifestyle, has resulted in Indians increasingly falling prey to lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease etc.

Current estimates from one-time cross sectional studies conducted in different regions of country by ICMR indicate that the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is between 8-10% in urban and 3 to 4% in rural India.

Nationwide scientific estimation of number of patients of Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) has not been carried out. However, in some of the small population based studies, it was found to be in 0.79 % in North India and 0.16% in South India.

National Center for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru, is running hospital and population based Cancer Registries.

Government is implementing National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) for interventions up to district level under the National Health Mission.

Under NPCDCS, diagnosis and treatment facilities are provided through different levels of healthcare by setting up NCD clinics in district hospitals and community health centres (CHCs). Intervention of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) has also been included in NPCDCS for proper management.

For early diagnosis, population-based screening of common NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension and common cancers—oral, breast, cervical, is on.

“We are utilizing the services of the frontline- workers and health-workers under existing Primary Healthcare System that also aims to generate awareness on risk factors of common NCDs,” said Patel.