India is witnessing some major changes in the overall health profile of its population due to fast changing disease patterns with Non Communicable Diseases contributing to higher mortality and morbidity rates. As per the recent health reports, NCDs contribute to 53 per cent of the total disease burden in the country resulting into 60 per cent of the total deaths. This is indeed alarming and can lead to a health emergency in the near future if proper checks are not applied. As of now, there is no integrated and evidence-based chronic disease management framework for NCDs in India. Addressing NCDs, therefore, is of paramount importance to the government and all agencies engaged in public health as otherwise they may pose a serious threat to both the social and economic development of the country. In October last year, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) released a National Blueprint on NCDs to facilitate a multi-sectoral response for prevention, control and management of growing cases of cancer, diabetes, heart and respiratory disorders, mental illness, injuries and other chronic diseases. More than 100 experts covering prominent government health officials, medical practitioners, policy analysts, and members of the patient groups participated in the development of the blueprint. The blueprint had also set a three part roadmap -- Policy and Surveillance; Strengthening of Healthcare Systems, and Healthcare Financing to address this public health challenge posed by the NCDs.
Right now, the major problem faced by the patient community affected by NCDs in the country is the poor access to quality medicines, their high prices and lack of treatment facilities. Despite having a price control order, many of the drugs for treatment of diabetes, heart diseases and cancer are beyond the reach of common men. Same is the case with the treatment facilities especially in semi urban and rural areas. Primary Health Centres and other government medical facilities in most of these underdeveloped areas of the country have no specialist doctors and no stocks of right medicines to treat these patients. Most of the state health departments have no effective procurement system for essential and life saving drugs including for treating NCDs. This state of affairs has been noted by a high powered Task Force constituted by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in December 2014 for Development of Manufacturing Capabilities in each Medical Vertical in Pharmaceutical Production. It has made sweeping recommendations, set several targets and asked the Central government to enhance access to safe and affordable medicines to address the burden of NCDs. How and when these ambitious goals will be achieved is a moot question. What is urgently needed for slowing down the spread of NCDs further in semi urban and rural areas is to set up more diagnostic clinics, provide adequate quantity of medicines and appoint specialist doctors in these regions on a war footing. And for taking these steps state governments have to be motivated with Central assistance wherever required.