India would need to put up with huge burden of US$ 3.55 trillion between 2012 and 2030, in terms of lost economic output because of the non-communicable diseases(NCDs), according Dr. Nata Menabde, WHO representative to India.

Currently, NCDs are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country. In 2012, the NCD mortality was estimated at 4.9 million, accounting for 60 per cent of all fatality cases. The burden is already undermining social and economic development and is likely to increase over the next two decades, she noted.

In this regard, a Joint Mission of the United Nations Inter Agency Task Force (UNIATF) on Prevention and Control of NCDs is here in India from December 8-12 to enhance the support of UN agencies to the Government of India to scale-up the National Multi-sectoral Response to NCDs.

The core team of the mission includes WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and the World Bank with participants from their headquarters, regional and country offices. At the country level, the mission is coordinated by the WHO Country Office for India in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in India.

Most of the premature deaths from NCDs are linked to exposure to risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, and the harmful use of alcohol that can be prevented by promoting healthy public policies and strengthening the health system, observed WHO.

In September 2011, Heads of State and Government adopted the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on Prevention and Control of NCDs during the General Assembly of United Nations (UN). The Declaration called upon WHO, as the lead UN specialised agency for health, and all other UN system agencies and international financial institutions to work together in a coordinated manner to support national efforts to prevent and control NCDs and mitigate their impacts.

Subsequently, UNIATF on Prevention and Control of NCDs was established to coordinate the activities of the relevant UN funds, programmes and specialised agencies and other intergovernmental organisations to support realisation of the commitments made in the above-mentioned Political Declaration, in particular, through implementation of the WHO Global Action Plan on NCDs 2013-2020.