Henk Bekedam, new WHO Representative to India on Thursday said that the Modi Government needs to be more serious on spending on healthcare, which is dismal at about 1.1 per cent of the total GDP at the moment, and should be increased to at least 2.5 per cent.
He was speaking to media at a technical briefing ahead of the World Health Day to be observed on April 7. With diabetes becoming a silent killer across the globe, the theme of the World Health Day is ‘Halt the Rise: Beat Diabetes.’
Pointing out that while increased migration from rural to urban areas has led to sedentary lifestyle causing non communicable diseases like diabetes, more and more people have chances to fall into poverty due to increased out of pocket expenditure on health.
“It has a huge burden on the family as well as on economy,” he said in his first interaction with the media since his taking over the present assignment.
There is a need to match the economic growth with the investment in public health. The negligence will hold back the economic growth, he said. Bekedam also suggested that revenue generated from higher tobacco taxation can be used for improving healthcare.
Fikru Tullu, WHO Country Office for India talked about the need to reorient health systems to meet the demands posed by the rising burden of diabetes, while Damodar Bachani, Deputy Commissioner, Health Ministry said it was not only diabetes but stroke, cancers, CVDs and chronic respiratory diseases were also taking toll on the public health in the country.
Anoop Misra, chief of the Fortis Centre for Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol in New Delhi called for education and awareness about correct oils and frying practices as well as correct choices of nutrients and oils. He also stressed on more intensive diet and exercise for prevention and management of diabetes and said that intervention should start at young age.