Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases in India

Recent Developments

Ayushman Bharat Mission

• Ayushman Bharat Mission, world’s largest health scheme announced in the Union Budget 2018-19, is the latest initiative for expanding the health insurance net and targets 10 crore poor and deprived rural families. This Initiative has been designed on the lines as to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and its underlining commitment, which is” leave no one behind”.

Global Tuberculosis Report 2018

• India accounted for 27% of the 10 million people who developed tuberculosis in 2017, the highest among the top 30 high TB burden countries in the world, according to the Global Tuberculosis Report, 2018 published by the WHO.
• Globally, the report stated that the best estimate is that 10 million people developed TB disease in 2017. Out of these, 5.8 million are men, 3.2 million women and one million children.
• India accounted for 32 per cent of global TB deaths among HIV-negative people, and for 27 per cent of the combined total TB deaths in HIV-negative and HIV-positive people.
• India was also the home to almost half of the world’s cases which were resistant to TB drugs at 24% followed by China (13%), and Russia (10%), as per the report.

Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP)

• As per the National Strategic Plan 2012–17, the program has a vision of achieving a “TB free India”, and aims to achieve Universal Access to TB control services.
• RNTCP is the state-run tuberculosis (TB) control initiative of the Government of India.
• The program provides, various free of cost, quality tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services across the country through the government health system. It seeks to employ the WHO recommended tuberculosis control strategy, DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course), to the Indian scenario.

National Health Resource Repository

• Launched by the Union ministry of health and family welfare in June 2018, it is the first ever registry in the country registry of authentic, standardized and updated geo-spatial data of all public and private healthcare.
• It will now be possible to provide comprehensive data on all private and public health establishments and other resources, including Railways, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), defence and petroleum healthcare establishments.
• Under the Collection of Statistics Act 2008, more than 20 lakh healthcare establishments such as hospitals, doctors, clinics, diagnostic labs, pharmacies and nursing homes would be enumerated under this census, which will capture data on more than 1,400 variables

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)

• India’s UIP is one of the largest public health programmes in the world. It targets 3 crore pregnant women and 2.7 crore new borns annually. More than 90 lakh immunization sessions are conducted annually. It is the most cost effective public health intervention and largely responsible for reduction of vaccine preventable under-5 mortality rate.
• Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) or Indradhanush 2.0 was launched by the government in October, 2017. Through this programme, Government of India aims to reach each and every child under two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisationprogramme. The achievement of full immunisation under Mission Indradhanush to at least 90% coverage has to be achieved by 2020 earlier.

Introduction of New Vaccines

• Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV): India is polio free but to maintain this status, the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) was introduced. Till October, 2017, 2.95 crore doses of IPV have been administered in the country.
• Rotavirus Vaccine Rotavac: Rotavac vaccine became first indigenously developed vaccine from India to be pre-qualified by World Health Organisation (WHO).
• Pneumococcal Vaccine (PCV): PCV was launched in a phased manner in UIP in May’17 for reducing infant mortality and morbidity caused by pneumococcal pneumonia.

National AYUSH Mission (NAM)

• The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme from 1st April, 2017 to 31st March, 2020 with financial outlay of Rs.2400.00 Crore. The Mission was launched on September 2014 for promotion of AYUSH healthcare in the country.
• Under Mainstreaming of AYUSH component, 8994 PHCs, 2871 CHCs and 506 District Hospitals have been co-located with AYUSH facilities. Under NAM, Ministry intends to set up fifty bedded hospitals in all the districts in next 10 years. So far 66 fifty bedded integrated AYUSH hospitals and 992 yoga wellness centers have been assisted. An amount of Rs 490 Crores for the year 2017 18 has been released to various States/UTs under NAM.

National Nutrition Mission

• In 2017, the Government of India approved National Nutrition Mission (NNM), a joint effort of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) towards a life cycle approach for interrupting the intergenerational cycle of under nutrition.
• As of December 15, 2017, the Government of India approved the National Medical Commission Bill 2017, which aims to promote area of medical education reform.

Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)

• In 2017-18, the Ministry announced transformation of Sub-health Centers to Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) to expand the basket of services of primary care to make it comprehensive.
• The HWCs are expected to provide preventive, promotive, rehabilitative and curative care for a package of services related to RMNCH+A, communicable diseases, non- communicable diseases, Ophthalmology, ENT, Dental, Mental, geriatric care, treatment for acute simple medical conditions and emergency & trauma services.

Challenges in the field of NCDs in India

• Neglect of Rural Population
• Emphasis on Culture Method
• Inadequate Outlay for Health
• Shortage of Medical Personnel
• Inadequate Medical Researches
• Expensive Health Service