The World Health Organisation (WHO) in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is in the process of formulating a draft plan to fight non-communicable diseases including diabetes, heart diseases, stroke and cancer.
Initially the project would be implemented in Karnataka. A national level action plan would be formulated on the basis of the recommendations from the state-level plan and the project is probably a first of its kind initiative of WHO at a state level, informed Dr. KK Shukla, representing ICMR.
According to WHO officials non-communicable diseases would kill about 60 million people in the country within a decade. The focus of discussion is on preventive measures, role of tobacco, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol conditions in patients of non-communicable diseases.
Both WHO and ICMR would formulate campaign methods to create awareness among the people on healthy lifestyle. The draft proposals would work as a prelude to formulating an integrated national level programme targeting major risk factors. The final action plan would be ready by December 2005, stated D Thangaraj, principal secretary, health and family welfare, government of Karnataka, non-communicable diseases.