Source credit: Shutterstock
On the occasion of World Health Day, Apollo Hospitals Group unveiled a report on the Health of the Nation that puts a spotlight on how the last two decades have seen a steady rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The contribution of NCDs as the top causes of death in India has risen to a staggering 64.9 per cent as compared to communicable diseases, maternal and other causes that dropped to 25 per cent.
Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “We can overcome NCDs together as a country, only if each and every one of us takes our health seriously.”
Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “With the urgent need to respond to the challenge of non-communicable diseases, we cannot afford a pure treatment and curative approach to health. We believe that a focus on prevention will be transformative for the health of the nation. We are harnessing the power of technology to develop new methodologies for screening, detection, and patient risk profiling.”
The study will help put in place approaches to improve disease prevention, increase the accuracy of early diagnoses that will, in turn, lead to a more personalised and patient-centric treatment approach.
Dr Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The Health of the Nation study highlights the need to direct our efforts efficiently towards controlling NCDs through optimal use of our healthcare infrastructure.”
There is a significant diabetes population in the major metros and suburbs of India, especially the Delhi NCR – Punjab & Haryana Belt, Kolkata, entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad belt, Hyderabad and Chennai, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as well as in the predominantly rural areas of MP, Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, parts of Orissa and Gujarat. There is a significant hypertensive population in major metros such as Delhi, Punjab & Haryana, Kolkata, Mumbai, Goa, Trivandrum and Hyderabad and in the predominantly rural areas in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, UP, Bihar, Orissa and Gujarat.
Dr Sujoy Kar, Chief Medical Information Officer said, “The study gives us the data that will allow the effective use of technology to predict risks and guide our actions to prevent and rein in the NCD epidemic.”
Dr Sathya Sriram, CEO, Preventive Health, Apollo Hospitals Chennai said, “The Health of the Nation study has shown us the importance of shifting the paradigm in India from a curative to a preventive mindset.”
