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Review
. 2023 Mar:10:100132.
doi: 10.1016/j.lansea.2022.100132. Epub 2022 Dec 20.

Accelerating policy response to curb non-communicable diseases: an imperative to mitigate the dual public health crises of non-communicable diseases and COVID-19 in India

Radhika Shrivastav  1 , Tina Rawal  1   2 , Ishu Kataria  3 , Ravi Mehrotra  4 , Shalini Bassi  1   2 , Monika Arora  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Accelerating policy response to curb non-communicable diseases: an imperative to mitigate the dual public health crises of non-communicable diseases and COVID-19 in India

Radhika Shrivastav et al. Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) are a threat to public health and sustainable development. NCDs were equated to being a 'pandemic' before COVID-19 originated. Globally, NCDs caused approximately 74% of deaths (2019). India accounted for nearly 14.5% of these deaths. NCDs and COVID-19 have a lethal bi-directional relationship with both exacerbating each other's impact. Health systems and populations, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like India have among the highest burden of COVID-19. This narrative review tracks key policy and programmatic developments on NCD prevention and control in India, with a focus on commercially-driven risk factors (tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and air pollution), and the corresponding NCD targets. It identifies lacunae and recommends urgent policy-focussed multi-dimensional action, to ameliorate the dual impact of NCDs and COVID-19. India's comprehensive response to NCDs can steer national, regional and global progress towards time-bound NCD targets and NCD-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Funding: This work is supported by the Commonwealth Foundation. None of the authors were paid to write this article by a pharmaceutical company or other agency. The authors were not precluded from accessing data and accept responsibility to submit for publication.

Keywords: COVID-19; NCD risk factors; Non-communicable diseases; Policy.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Key NCDpolicies andprogrammes in India–Atimeline.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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