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Rewa: Well over half of the deaths in India are caused by noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, heart attacks and related conditions, said a World Health Organisation report on Thursday (April 23). “India faces a significant challenge with noncommunicable diseases, which account for approximately 63% of all deaths in the country,” the report said.

“Conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and common cancers are responsible for an increasing share of morbidity (disease prevalence) and mortality,” the global health body noted.

NCDs or noncommunicable diseases stand out within the overall disease burden because they are mostly preventable through lifestyle changes and are often manageable, though they are also long-term or chronic in nature after onset. They also carry a significant mortality risk if not prevented or managed adequately.

The government of India has acknowledged this crisis too, often citing a report of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) from 2017 on the rising prevalence of such diseases. In his reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on February 10, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jhadav said, “The proportion of incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including cancer, diabetes and heart disease has increased in India from 30.5% in 1990 to 55.4% in 2016.”

There is no other data that the government has cited in its replies in parliament. While acknowledging the rise in prevalence of NCDs, the government has said that it has taken a series of steps to counter the trend.

“The programme focuses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, screening, early diagnosis, referral, treatment and health promotion for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs),” Jadhav said on March 13, in another response to a question on the issue in Rajya Sabha.

Last year, the government claimed it has adopted several measures to address the NCD burden in rural areas in particular.

“[The] preventive aspect of NCDs, including diabetes and hypertension, is strengthened under Comprehensive Primary Health Care through Ayushman Arogya Mandir, by the promotion of wellness activities and  targeted communication at the community level,” Jadhav said in yet another reply on August 5, 2025, when it was questioned about the initiatives taken in rural areas with respect to the rising NCD burden.

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs were earlier known as Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres and have been established in rural areas.

In the same reply on August 5, the government said, “Further initiatives for increasing public awareness about NCDs and for promotion of healthy lifestyle includes the use of print, electronic and social media for continued community awareness.”

However, the WHO has pointed out in its report released on Thursday that there are considerable disparities in access to effective health care, particularly among women, older adults and residents of rural and low-income communities.

“They are the ones who often experience delays in seeking care until their conditions become severe,” it said.

The WHO said its collaboration with India’s health ministry led to an increase in budget allocation to tackle the burden of NCDs. Yet it warned that despite significant nationwide progress, challenges persist, notably inter-state variability in adherence to clinical protocols, the competency of health care workers and the integration of digital health systems.

One of the measures the government has pointed to as an effort to tackle the NCD burden is the ‘Fit India Movement’. An independent assessment published in 2024 flagged lack of awareness and inadequate public infrastructure for exercise as hindrances to physical activity.

The paper, published in the World Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research, said that of the 200 participants in the study, more than 50% were not aware of Fit India Movement.

The WHO report identified the elimination of Lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a major challenge before India. A parasite commonly known as ’roundworm’ causes this disease. It is transmitted from human-to-human by mosquito bite.

Though the nationwide elimination target of 1 case per 10,000 population was achieved in 2005, India’s next target, of eliminating the disease by 2017 at the sub-national level (or consistently across the country), has not yet been achieved.

However, there is a declining trend as revealed in a question responded to in Rajya Sabha on February 28, 2023. The total number of cases in 2022 was 6.96 lakh as against 7.06 lakh in 2021. The WHO has classified this disease as a “significant health challenge” for India, with 20 states and Union Territories still reporting cases.

“[The] ongoing issues of inadequate drug consumption, inconsistent compliance and evidence of residual transmission [from one person to another] impede progress towards elimination.

“These factors pose risks to high-risk and underserved populations, highlighting the need for effective surveillance, informed decision-making regarding mass drug administration (MDA), and addressing equity barriers,” it said.

Put simply, these factors increase the risk of spread among high-risk and underserved populations already affected by LF. The WHO listed capacity building for healthcare workers and conducting transmission assessment surveys in eight-high burden states in response to the risk.

India runs the world’s largest childhood immunisation programme and has made significant progress in ensuring the quality and access, thanks to the work done by the previous and current governments. The WHO, however, identified gaps, including incomplete microplanning, skill gaps in the health workforce, inconsistent programme monitoring and the complexities of urban immunisation as areas to focus on.

Also read: India’s Skill Gap Could Derail the Promise of its Demographic Dividend, Finds Study

To close these gaps, the WHO has launched various technical initiatives to support the government in 11 high-burden states that cover 143 districts and 1,605 blocks to implement a comprehensive approach to tackle the problem.

‘Triple billion targets’

The WHO report assesses the performance of countries on what it calls ‘Triple Billion Targets’. These targets include Universal health coverage, preparation of countries to tackle health emergencies and improving population health. The report measures how countries have performed to meet these targets, or if they are performing inadequately, hampering overall progress.

As far as India is concerned, in 2025, it contributed 19 million (1.9 crore) people to the overall global pie of those suffering from financial hardship in accessing health services. India did not contribute to any progress on this metric, as the number was the same in 2024.

However, the number of people who gained access to facilities for water and sanitation increased from 2.3 crore in 2024 to 2.6 crore in 2025. The overall contribution of the population to universal healthcare coverage went up in India from 18.4 crore in 2024 to 19.4 crore in 2025.

The report mentions that important ambitions remain unmet, leaving the world off-track to meet health‑related Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The number of people living better healthier lives rose by 175 crore (1.75 billion) compared with the baseline in 2018 – an increase of 30 crore since 2024.

Similarly, 56.7 crore additional people were covered by essential health services without experiencing catastrophic health spending in 2025, compared with the baseline in 2018 – an increase of 13.6 crore since 2024, the WHO said in a press release.

In the foreword of the report, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned about the impact of changing the WHO’s funding. “Financial setbacks in 2025 had an impact on results.”

“At the country level, surveillance, laboratory support, preparedness training, and field deployments were scaled back, with resources focused on the most acute emergencies. The programmatic impact of these reductions has been tangible, with 66% of countries reporting surveillance disruptions,” the report lamented.

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