Non-Communicable Diseases on the rise, says Apollo study

The contribution of NCDs as the top cause of death in India has risen to 64.9 per cent when compared to other communicable diseases, the study said.

Hyderabad: On the occasion of World Health Day, Apollo Hospitals Group on Wednesday released a report ‘Health of the Nation’ highlighting the steady rise of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the last two decades.

The contribution of NCDs as the top cause of death in India has risen to 64.9 per cent when compared to other communicable diseases, the study said.

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“Even before the pandemic, we have been facing an unacceptable loss of lives due to NCDs. In dealing with Covid pandemic, our study indicates that we have let the epidemic of NCDs slip,” said Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group.

“To respond to the challenge of NCDs, we believe that focus on prevention will be transformative. We are harnessing the power of technology to develop new methodologies to screen and detect NCDs,” said Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group.

Dr Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said that the study highlights the need to direct efforts efficiently towards controlling NCDs through optimal use of healthcare infrastructure.

Prof. Nirmal Kumar Ganguly, president, Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation said that around 80 per cent of mortality from NCDs is preventable. Dr Sujoy Kar, Chief Medical Information Officer and Dr Sathya Sriram, CEO, Preventive Health, Apollo Hospitals Chennai were also present.