The Government on Friday said plans are afoot to set up 72 cancer centres in different parts of the country to tackle the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which are increasing at an “alarming rate” due to changing lifestyle.
“We were facing rising incidence of communicable diseases. Now, non-communicable diseases are increasing at an alarming rate,” Health Minister JP Nadda told lok Sabha during Question Hour.
The incidence of diabetes, hypertension and cancer are on the rise and these diseases are mainly linked to lifestyle, he added.
The Minister said efforts are being made to increase capacity to deal with cancer and focus is on primary screening to detect and treat the disease at the early stage itself.