Rising Health Expenditure Due to Non-Communicable Diseases in India: An Outlook

Abstract

With ongoing demographic transition, epidemiological transition has been emerged as a growing concern in India. The share of non-communicable disease in total disease burden has increased from 31% in 1990 to 45% in 2010. This paper seeks to explore the health scenario of India in the wake of the growing pace of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension among Indian population using data from health and morbidity survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation (2004) and notifies about the resource needed to tackle this growing health risk. Given the share of private players (70%) in Indian health system, results indicate a higher private expenditure, mostly out-of-pocket expense, on account of non-communicable diseases. A timely look into the matter may tackle a more dreadful situation in near future.

Keywords: India; South Asia; burden; health care; non-communicable diseases.

Figure 1

Age-specific prevalence of communicable, non-communicable, and other types of diseases in India, 2004. Source: authors’ own calculation from NSSO 60th round unit-level data.

Figure 2

Projected share of communicable, non-communicable and other types of diseases among total population 2006–2051. Source: authors’ own calculation from NSS 60th round unit-level data.