"Non-communicable diseases stay with you, often silently — they are static. But the lifestyle that shapes them is anything but silent; it's communicable, influencing the people and environment around you every day."
— Suneel Vatsyayan, Life Coach ,Strategist and National Executive Member NAPSWI
World Environment Day (June 5), and International Day of Yoga (June 21) – aligning closely with Mental Health Month, the intersections between health, environment, and social well-being came into sharp focus. For those working at the grassroots level, these observances were not mere commemorations, but reminders of the deeply interconnected risk factors that underpin Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) – primarily tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, drug abuse, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and environmental degradation. Despite the growing burden of NCDs in India – accounting for nearly 60% of all deaths – the response remains fragmented. The risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and drugs are dealt with in isolation under different verticals and ministries at both central and state levels. Tobacco control, for example, is often handled by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, while alcohol and drug abuse fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment or Home Affairs. This departmental segregation dilutes the
urgency and coherence required to address the interlinked nature of these risk factors.
During a live All India Radio broadcast of the “Radio Doctor” program this June, Mr.
Suneel Vatsyayan, a life coach and seasoned social work professional, was in conversation
with a young student of social policy. The student candidly voiced a concern that resonated
with many in the public health ecosystem – the lack of time and energy available at the
Primary Health Centre (PHC) level to even consider brief intervention or treatment
readiness for patients grappling with behavioral health issues like tobacco and substance
use.
She shared how a doctor, whom she was shadowing as part of her fieldwork, was
overburdened with medical emergencies, managing dozens of patients daily, and
barely had 3–4 minutes per patient. Within this tight window, expecting a primary care
physician to conduct counseling or initiate early treatment for alcohol or tobacco use was
almost unrealistic. The first responders, in such cases, are physically present but
functionally unavailable for preventive and psycho-social care.
This stark reality underscores the urgent need to reposition social workers as frontline
contributors in India’s NCD response. Yet, social work remains a silent and underfunded
partner. While India has been making policy strides – with national programs on NCDs,
mental health, and tobacco control – resource allocation for behavioral health and
prevention remains abysmally low. Prevention is often viewed as a luxury, not as a
necessity.
This calls for a paradigm shift. Prevention and behavioral health should be treated not as
optional components of care, but as central pillars of an effective public health system.
Social workers, with their unique skill set of community engagement, psychosocial support,
and policy advocacy, are ideally placed to bridge this gap. However, for this to happen,
institutions need to invest in building a robust behavioral health workforce rooted in
community and school settings.
Moreover, this June also served as a reminder of the role of environment and culture in
health. Yoga Day reminded us of the role of physical and mental discipline in disease
prevention, while Environment Day made us think about the link between pollution and
NCDs, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Each of these global
observances has a direct bearing on the work of social workers, whether it’s mobilizing
communities, sensitizing youth, or helping build healthy campuses.
As we move ahead, we must ask:
Is prevention a luxury in India’s health system, or can we afford to ignore it any
longer?
Can social work remain a silent stakeholder when young lives are lost to preventable
diseases and addictions?
NAPSWI invites its members and the broader community to reflect on these questions and
take collective action. The silence must end – both in terms of funding and recognition of
social work’s critical role in health promotion. Let June not just be a month of observances,
but the beginning of a year-round commitment to prevention, early intervention, and
social justice in public health.
Courtesy: NAPSWI Newsletter – June 2025 Edition
Title: Non-Communicable Diseases, Risk Factors, and the Silent Role of Social