NCD voices inform India’s programme for NCD prevention and control

In this feature, the Healthy India Alliance (HIA) shares the importance of meaningful involvement in tackling noncommunicable diseases in India’s NCD plan.

In India, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for approximately 64% of all deaths, adversely affecting not only people’s health, but also the financial stability of households due to increased out-of-pocket expenses for treatment and care. The economic loss attributed to NCDs (excluding mental health) in India is projected to reach US $3.55 trillion between 2012 and 2030.

India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) introduced the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancers, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), in 2010. In May 2023, the Ministry updated it to the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2023-2030 (NP-NCD), better reflecting the NCD burden in India by addressing a wider array of NCDs, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

The inclusion of meaningful involvement of people with lived experience is aligned to the Healthy India Alliance (HIA) priority to garner key stakeholder buy-in with a specific focus on ensuring that lived experience champions are recognised as experts and partners in the national and sub-national NCD response, in India. Equipped with skills, networks and knowledge, people with lived experience are crucial partners in addressing NCDs at individual, community and system levels.

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