The disease profile of the country has changed vastly over the last two decades with most of the infectious diseases coming under check by the government. This has been possible with the adoption of suitable healthcare and drug pricing policies in the seventies and eighties. Thus, the goal of containing major diseases has been achieved to a great extend although cases of new infectious diseases and resistant TB are being reported from certain parts of the country. But, what appears scary today is the spread of various lifestyle diseases among most sections of the people in the country. The WHO's Global Health Statistics released in 2008 underlined the enormity of this new challenge facing India and several other developing countries. The WHO's Statistics indicates that coronary artery disease will be the number one killer disease causing 14.2 per cent of all deaths worldwide by 2030. Cerebrovascular illness and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases will be the second and third killer ailments jointly causing another 20.7 per cent of all deaths by the same year. Lower respiratory infections will be fourth deadly disease accounting for 3.8 per cent of all deaths by 2030. Diabetes is going to be another major killer disease by 2030 causing 3.3 per cent of all deaths. Alzheimer's and other forms of degenerative diseases are also threatening the lives of several lakhs of people.
At the same time, deaths due to communicable diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS are set to come down by 2030. A remarkable drop in diarrhoeal diseases worldwide is predicted with its ranking at 23 as a killer disease by 2030. This changing disease profile of the globe calls for appropriate and immediate changes in the approach towards healthcare policies by the governments. In India, formulation of National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio-vascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) by the Union health ministry in 2010 is in consideration of this new challenge. A plan allocation of Rs.1230.90 crores has been earmarked to implement the same in 20,000 sub-centres and 700 community health centres (CHCs) in 100 districts across 21 states and Union Territories. The NPCDCS has been initiated in 30 districts across 21 states during the year 2010-11 and another 70 districts will be covered during 2011-12. The emphasis is to promote healthy lifestyle through massive health education and mass media efforts at country level, screening of persons above the age of 30 years and establishment of Non Communicable Disease (NCD) clinics at CHC and district levels. Providing basic medical facilities at district and community levels under NPCDCS is definitely a remarkable initiative. Along with this, there is a need to bring some control on prices of drugs required to treat these diseases. Currently most drugs used for treating lifestyle diseases are outside price control and are sold at very high prices by pharmaceutical companies. If some price control on these drugs cannot be enforced simultaneously, this ambitious programme may not be a success at all.