Jharkhand has emerged as the country’s first model state for an ambitious integrated programme aimed at preventing and managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), following approval of the state’s integrated NCD model by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The model was approved at a high-level meeting held at Kartavya Bhavan-1 in New Delhi. Union Health Ministry Additional Secretary and Mission Director Aradhana Patnaik gave the approval, while Deputy Director General and Director of the NCD Division, Dr L. Swasticharan, made a detailed presentation on Jharkhand’s vision and technical framework.
Under the integrated model, five national health programmes will be brought together on a common platform. These include the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), National Oral Health Programme, National Tobacco Control Programme, National Programme for Palliative Care and National Mental Health Programme.
The initiative will focus on strengthening screening, early detection, treatment and digital tracking at the primary healthcare level. Cancer prevention and control will remain a key priority, alongside hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, tobacco control, oral health, palliative care and mental health.
The state has also been directed to accelerate vaccination efforts for prevention of cervical cancer.
The integrated programme will be implemented in mission mode, with a high-level state workshop expected to be organised soon. The proposed workshop is likely to bring together state ministers, elected representatives and senior health officials to finalise the implementation strategy.
The National Health Mission, Jharkhand, has also invited development partners, civil society organisations and public sector undertakings to support the initiative through corporate social responsibility (CSR), particularly to extend the programme to remote and rural areas.
Jharkhand was represented at the New Delhi meeting by NHM Mission Director Shashi Prakash Jha, State Nodal Officer Dr Ravi Raj and State Programme Manager Anima Kisku. Senior officials from the Centre, including Dr Tushar Nanasaheb Nale and Dr S. Senthilnathan, along with representatives of civil society organisations, also attended the meeting.
Following successful evaluation of the Jharkhand model, the integrated framework is proposed to be rolled out nationally.