Important National Health Policies and Guidelines on Non-Communicable Diseases

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)—primarily cardiovascular conditions, cancers, chronic respiratory disorders, and diabetes—account for over 60% of all mortality in India. The rapid epidemiological transition from infectious to chronic lifestyle disorders poses a distinct public health challenge. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare executes targeted national policies, structured screening frameworks, and specialized institutional programs to mitigate key risk factors including tobacco consumption, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and metabolic imbalances across rural and urban populations.

National Policy Frameworks and Targets

India’s strategy aligns national public health goals with global frameworks to combat chronic conditions.

National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 Commitments

• Mortality Reduction: Aims to reduce premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases by 25% by 2025.
• Risk Factor Mitigation: Sets targets to achieve a 30% relative reduction in prevalence of current tobacco use by 2025 and a 10% relative reduction in prevalence of insufficient physical activity.
• Hypertension & Diabetes Control: Focuses on curbing the prevalence of raised blood pressure and halting the rise in obesity and type-2 diabetes rates nationwide.

National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of NCDs

India became the first country to adopt specific national targets and indicators based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan.

• Global Alignment: Incorporates 10 national targets, including an explicit target addressing household air pollution, reflecting the country’s unique environmental risk matrix.
• Multi-Sectoral Action: Coordinates policy interventions across non-health ministries including Agriculture, Food Processing, Urban Development, and Youth Affairs to promote healthy environments.

Key Schemes and Operational Programs

Structured central programs manage early screening, tertiary treatment, and affordable medication access.

National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD)

Originally launched in 2010 as the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), the scheme was renamed NP-NCD to encompass additional chronic conditions.

• Disease Coverage: Addresses diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, common cancers (oral, breast, cervical), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
• Institutional Setup: Operates dedicated NCD Cells at national, state, and district levels, establishing NCD Clinics at District Hospitals and Community Health Centres (CHCs) under the National Health Mission.
• Digital Monitoring: Employs the National NCD Portal (formerly CPHC NCD IT system) to maintain digital health records, track risk assessments, and ensure longitudinal follow-up for individuals aged 30 and above.

Population-Based Screening (PBS) Initiative

Rolled out under Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (now Ayushman Arogya Mandirs), this protocol targets all citizens over 30 years old.

• Frontline Execution: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) conduct community enumeration and complete the Community Risk Assessment Checklist (CBAC).
• Target Conditions: Universal screening covers five primary conditions: Hypertension, Diabetes, Oral Cancer, Breast Cancer, and Cervical Cancer.

Specialized Schemes and Access Protocols

Tobacco, Dietary, and Lifestyle Regulations

Regulatory guidelines enforce environmental and lifestyle modifications to lower community-level risk factors.

Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003

• Public Smoking: Prohibits smoking in public places and restricts direct or indirect tobacco product advertising.
• Warning Mandate: Mandates specified pictorial health warnings covering 85% of the principal display area on tobacco product packaging.
• Youth Protection: Banned the sale of tobacco products to minors and within a 100-yard radius of educational institutions.
• E-Cigarettes Ban: The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019 criminalized the production, manufacture, import, export, sale, and advertising of e-cigarettes.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Measures

• Trans Fat Elimination: Capped industrial trans fats in food fats and oils at 2% by weight under the “Heart Attack Rewind” initiative.
• Eat Right India Movement: Promotes consumer awareness regarding reduced intake of salt, sugar, and oil through campaign frameworks like “Thoda Kam”.
• FSSAI Labelling Regulations: Mandates clear front-of-pack labeling for packaged foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS).

Important Facts and Quick Reference

• Non-Communicable Diseases account for over 60% of total annual deaths in India.
• The NPCDCS was officially renamed the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) to cover a wider spectrum of conditions.
• India was the first country in the world to integrate Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) into its national NCD program.
• The target population age for universal NCD screening under the Population-Based Screening protocol is 30 years and above.
• Target 3.4 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mandates reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030.
• AMRIT stands for Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment.
• COTPA 2003 requires pictorial health warnings to cover 85% of the surface area on all tobacco packages.
• The “75/25” initiative targets standard medical care for 75 million patients suffering from hypertension and diabetes.
• The National NCD Portal was previously designated as the CPHC NCD IT system.
• India was the first nation to map out a dedicated National Action Plan with 10 specific targets aligned with WHO guidelines.