Question : Universal Screening Programme

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Union Government had taken a decision to introduce a programme for Universal screening and control of common Non-Communicable Diseases in 100 districts of the country;

(b) if so, the present status of the said programme;

(c) whether due to Non- Communicable Diseases a large number of people are losing their lives every year in the absence of any proper diagnostic/ treatment systems particularly in rural areas
across the country;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government propose to introduce and implement the said programmes in all the districts of the country in cooperation with the respective State Governments; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) & (b) : Yes.

Population level initiative for prevention, control and screening of Common Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as Diabetes, Hypertension and Common Cancers viz. Oral, Breast and Cervical Cancer has been initiated in more than 150 districts of the country under National Health Mission (NHM). Under this initiative, frontline health workers such as ASHAs and ANMs, inter alia, will be leveraged to carry out screening and generate awareness about the risk factors of NCDs among the masses. Under this initiative 29,248 ASHAs and 10,953 Multi-Purpose workers (F) have been trained. More than 62.2 lakh people have been screened under this initiative as informed by the States.
Contd…….
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(c) & (d): Indian Council of Medical Research has informed that as per Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 Estimates, 61.8% of all deaths were due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India. The risk factors responsible for rising burden of NCDs are tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol. With reducing burden of communicable diseases the comparative burden of NCDs has risen. Health is a State subject and data on NCD related deaths due to lack of diagnostics and treatment is not centrally maintained.

(e) & (f): The programmes and initiatives under NHM are approved as per the Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) submitted by the States. Based on the PIPs, the programme will be scaled up in a phase wise manner to cover more districts in the country.
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