The increase in life expectancy in the country has led to newer health challenges in the community. What are those challenges and what steps need to be taken to meet them? (UPSC 2022)

Rising life expectancy has shifted India’s burden from acute infections to chronic, age-related and care-intensive illnesses.

• Challenges: more NCDs—diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, COPD and cancer—along with multi-morbidity, dementia, depression and cognitive decline.
• Age-related issues: arthritis, osteoporosis, frailty, falls and sensory loss, especially among elderly women.
• Social-care stress: isolation, migration-driven erosion of family support, rural access gaps, high out-of-pocket spending, and shortage of geriatric, rehabilitation and palliative care.

Steps: strengthen primary health care and the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly; ensure screening, early diagnosis and long-term disease management; expand affordable insurance, pensions and community-based home care; train caregivers and geriatric nurses; and promote telemedicine, mental health support and age-friendly public spaces.

Healthy ageing requires prevention, treatment and social security so longer life also means better quality of life.