As the UN General Assembly adopted the political declaration on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad reaffirmed to prevent and combat NCDs by improving accessibility and affordability of health care in a concerted manner.
“As of now screening of diabetics and hypertension is being carried out in 100 identified districts in 21 states and urban slums of 33 cities with more than 1 million population, where all adult males above 30 years of age and pregnant women of all age groups are being screened. Our target is to screen about 150 million people by March 2012 under this pilot project. This national programme will be rolled out in the entire country in April, 2012,” he said while addressing the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs which began on September 19 at New York. According to the WHO, the NCDs kill some 36 million people annually.
As far as India is concerned, Mr Azad said, “We are faced with the triple burden of communicable diseases, new and re-emerging infections and the increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases.”
In his address at the beginning of the summit Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said non-communicable diseases were a threat to development, and that there was an urgent need to combat them.
At the meeting, health experts and world leaders from 193 nations will focus on the NCDs’ developmental, social and economic impacts, particularly in developing countries.