As per WHO, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are collectively responsible for more than 74% of all deaths worldwide including heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. NCDs cause significant morbidity and mortality, both in urban and rural population and across all socio-economic strata with considerable loss in potentially productive years of life including maximum out of pocket expenditure on health. SDG 3 (Target 3.4) aims to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030 in the world. The National Health Policy 2017 also emphasises the need to halt and reverse incidence of NCDs and seeks focus on common NCDs. Among NCDs the top four killers that together account for more than 80% of all premature NCD deaths annually include cardiovascular diseases (17.9 million), cancer (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million) and diabetes (2.0 million).
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Government of India has set a target to screen 75 million people for diabetes and hypertension and put them on standard care and halt the rise in diabetes and prevent premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025.
