Early detection will contain growing mortality
The decision of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to initiate a door-to-door screening programme for the early detection of cancer, heart disorders and diabetes, is welcome. This should evoke the same awareness and impact that the polio eradication programme, which was launched back in 1985 to cover every district of the country, did. It was a grand success as the country was declared polio-free on World Polio Day in 2014. likewise, if the new move to detect all the three non-communicable diseases (NCD) can be implemented effectively, it would certainly prevent many early deaths. At a time, when we are focussed on curbing a plethora of communicable diseases like dengue, chikungunya, swine flu and the deadly Japanese encephalitis, the Government's move to prevent these NCDs could save nearly 35 per cent of the population that dies from the NCDs.
More importantly, as the scheme is slated to be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the World Cancer Day on February 4, it will bear special significance for the country. However, the issue at stake is that carrying out door-to-door campaign to cover initially one-third of the population, will be an enormous task for the Health Ministry. It demands state-of-the-art facilities, training and implementation of the same at good speed. Targeted to cover nearly 200 districts by the end of 2018, it will have to be centrally monitored with effective assistance from State Government agencies to reach out to the affected people. Such a scale of campaigning had reportedly never taken up by the Government before. Experts say that roping in celebrities and other important personalities can make a real difference for promoting the new initiative — effectively done with the polio elimination drive.
This drive is under the preventive care measures planned by the Health Ministry. Sensing the fatalities of the three diseases, the Ministry is particularly targeting the age group of people falling within 30 to 69 years. This age group constitutes 37 per cent of the population of the country, and they are recorded as the most vulnerable for the ailments caused by these diseases. In fact, out of all the three, diabetes is taking a major toll on the population, as the number of cases registered in 2015 for such patients is as high as 690 lakh.
The number of cases for cancer and heart ailments are also projected to rise from the current seven per cent and 26 per cent respectively from next year onwards. It is an alarming situation and needs to be tackled without further delay. Sceptics say that reaching a large number of people within a short span of time, with diverse socio-cultural practices, overcoming both social and physical barriers, will finally determine the success of the programme. Simultaneously, the Government must encourage quality research work to develop all possible preventive care measures for these killer diseases.