85% pictorial health warnings on both sides of tobacco packs critical to save Indians from cardiovascular diseases
World Health Day
New Delhi – On the occasion of World Heart Day 2016, the Healthy India Alliance announces the launch of its official website – a repository of information and resources related to Noncommunicable Disease prevention and control in India.
The Alliance has been set up by a group of reputed, pan-India organizations committed to NCD prevention and control and has the membership of 16 CSOs working on diverse aspects related to NCDs and their risk factors, including advocacy, multi-pronged research, policy reviews and health promotion programmes and campaigns.
In India, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for a staggering 60% of all deaths. The country stands to lose $4.58 trillion before 2030 due to NCDs and mental health conditions. Cardiovascular diseases, among major NCDs like cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases are responsible for 26% of all deaths in India and account for $2.17 trillion is economic losses. NCDs are majorly caused due to modifiable health behaviours like tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity and unhealthy diets.
India is the first country globally to adopt a set of 10 National targets as part of India’s National Action Plan to reduce premature NCD mortality by 25% by 2025. In addition to the set of 9 global targets under WHO Global Monitoring Framework for NCDs, India stepped up to adopt a tenth target of reducing household air pollution by 50% by 2025.
A major mandate of the Alliance is involving stakeholders from outside the health space in order to build understanding and consensus that NCDs are not just as a health issue but a macro issue with inter-linkages with development, economics, environment and many more important sectors.
Please visit www.healthyindiaalliance.org for more details.
Delhi-based NGO HRIDAY is the Secretariat of the Healthy India Alliance.
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