Government Programme for NCD Renamed
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has renamed the National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke (NPCDCS).
- It will now be called the ‘National Program for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Prevention and Control’ (NP-NCD).
- Many new diseases like Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease have been included in the programme.
- Also, new health initiatives have been launched to control and prevent NCDs. Due to these reasons, it was necessary to change the name of NPCDCS.
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched NPCDCS in 2010 as part of the National Health Mission (NHM).
- The Ministry has also renamed the Comprehensive Primary Health Care NCD Portal as ‘National NCD Portal’.
- The portal enables risk assessment and screening for five common NCDs spread among the population in the age group above 30 years.
Non-Communicable Diseases- NCD
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are long-standing, also known as chronic diseases and result from a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors.
- These five common NCDs: hypertension, diabetes and three types of cancer viz. oral, breast and cervical cancer.
- NCDs (chronic diseases) like cancer, diabetes are caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors.
- According to WHO statistics, every year 17 million people die before completing 70 years of age due to any one NCD.
Initiatives taken to control NCDs –
- WHO has launched the Global NCD Compact 2020-2030 to accelerate progress in the prevention and control of NCDs.
- National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) is being implemented.
- Ayushman Bharat program has been launched to treat communicable diseases as well as NCDs and injuries.
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has been launched to reduce indoor air pollution.
Source – The Hindu
