Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister, Health & Family Welfare, has launched the operational guidelines for integration of NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) with NPCDCS (National Programme for Prevention & Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke).

The Minister expanding on the government’s plan to curb deaths due to NCDs linked with the condition said, “NAFLD is an independent predictor of future risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic syndromes like hypertension, abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance. The Government of India is of the view that existing NPCDCS programme strategies can easily be aligned to prevent NAFLD through lifestyle changes, early diagnosis, and management of associated non-communicable diseases as well as NAFLD.”

The Health Minister also took the occasion to remind the audience that India is becoming the first country in the world to identify the need for action for NAFLD. He said, “The Government of India has realised that the existing NCD programme’s strategies can now be aligned to achieve the objectives to prevent and control NAFLD with:

(i) behaviour and lifestyle changes,     
(ii) early diagnosis and management of NAFLD,     
(iii) building of capacity at various levels of healthcare for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD.        

To broaden the movement, he suggested that health journalists and media in general play an important role in spreading awareness and information on NCDs and how a fit lifestyle can help avoid them and encouraged everyone to improve their own health awareness and remain physically active.