{"id":18356,"date":"2023-10-27T18:41:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T13:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/?p=18356"},"modified":"2025-07-18T12:48:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T07:18:14","slug":"unhealthy-urban-india-must-get-into-street-fight-mode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/27-10-2023\/unhealthy-urban-india-must-get-into-street-fight-mode","title":{"rendered":"Unhealthy Urban India Must Get into Street Fight Mode\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Indian Economy &amp; Related Issues, GS2\/ Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The cities of India are amidst an epidemic of historic proportions in non-communicable diseases (NCD).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are non-transmissible diseases of often long duration.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NCDs have been one of the major concerns of the Health Ministry. It has identified the four major NCDs:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cardiovascular diseases,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cancers,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chronic respiratory diseases and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diabetes.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Causes:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NCDs are driven primarily by behaviours that often start during childhood and adolescence including <strong>physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, tobacco<\/strong> use and harmful use of <strong>alcohol<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Urban India and challenge of multiple health risks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India\u2019s urban inhabitants<\/strong> experience<strong> multi-scalar health risks like:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>World\u2019s highest levels of air and noise pollution,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Limited greenery,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of access to sidewalks and parks that limit active lifestyles,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Archaic modes of transport that contribute to air pollution,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pernicious access to nutritionally dense unhealthy foods and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unprecedented exposure to toxic chemicals and heavy metals.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dysfunctional provisioning systems:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Globally, there are seven key physical provisioning systems that lie at the core of human health, well-being, equity and sustainability\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Food,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Energy,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mobility-transportation,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Housing,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Green infrastructure,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Water and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Waste management.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dysfunctional provisioning systems consume more than 90% of the world\u2019s water and global CO2 emissions and facilitate an estimated 19 million premature deaths annually.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These provisioning systems are also \u2018Dysfunctional\u2019 in most urban ecosystems in India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Socio-spatial-political design:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The<strong> socio-spatial-political design<\/strong> of urban provisioning systems in India, many of which are legacies of a colonial past, manifests in and exacerbates social inequalities in cities, by <strong>class, race, age, migrant and disability status<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It ultimately translates to vast disparities in health risks and outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Outcome\/Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Health risks: <\/strong>This concatenation of exposures dramatically magnifies health risks for heart disease and diabetes, referred to as cardiometabolic disease, especially when combined with a lack of physical activity.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unhealthy diets, reduced physical activity and air pollution in cities in India pose a greater<strong> risk to morbidity and mortality<\/strong> than most other risk factors combined including drugs, tobacco, alcohol and accidents.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impact on family &amp; community: <\/strong>The epidemic of NCDs poses devastating health consequences for <strong>individuals, families and communities<\/strong>, and threatens to overwhelm health systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Socioeconomic costs: <\/strong>The <strong>socioeconomic costs associated with NCDs<\/strong> make the prevention and control of these diseases a major development imperative for the 21st century.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Apart from the lives they take, NCDs take a heavy <strong>toll on economies, cutting down people <\/strong>in their most productive years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Suggestions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focussing on India\u2019s cities for its future: <\/strong>Based on the primal importance of India\u2019s cities for its future, a new narrative for improving health and well-being in cities is needed.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is reflected in several high-level policy frameworks, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework, the New Urban Agenda, and the Health in All Policies approach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Giving equal priorities to provisioning systems: <\/strong>Investments such as <strong>clean energy<\/strong> and<strong> electric mobility<\/strong> which are underway in India offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to improve health through their <strong>immediate and dramatic impact on air pollution levels<\/strong>, while also helping meet India\u2019s climate and equity goals.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>But, the magnitude of their impact on health outcomes is at risk of being <strong>limited.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It should rather be simultaneously accompanied by changes in other provisioning systems such as food, mobility and green infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improving green infrastructure: <\/strong>Studies show that even small changes in improving green infrastructure may have a large catalytic effect on health and productivity.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>For example, <\/strong>making way for safe walking and biking lanes, pavements and no-car zones, can help not only improve physical activity and reduce sedentary lifestyles but also reduce the risk from air pollution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focussing on physical activity: <\/strong>Of all behaviours well known to mitigate the development of cardiometabolic disease, physical activity is by far the most effective deterrent.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Regular physical exercise has been to effectively mitigate the impact of other risk factors such as poor diets, particularly those rich in calories and saturated fats.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improving dietary policies: <\/strong>Policies that encourage fresh fruits and vegetables and limit sugars and salt in beverages, which may have the largest impact on health outcomes such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease, may help contribute to not only better health outcomes but also economic productivity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Government Initiatives targeting NCDs in India&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Health Mission (NHM): <\/strong>The <strong>Department of Health &amp; Family Welfare<\/strong> provides <strong>technical and financial support<\/strong> to the States\/UTs under the <strong>National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS)<\/strong>, (launched in 2010) as part of <strong>National Health Mission (NHM)<\/strong>, based on the proposals received from the States\/UTs and subject to the resource envelope.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The programme focuses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion &amp; awareness generation for prevention, early diagnosis, management and referral to an appropriate level of healthcare facility for treatment of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centre scheme: <\/strong>Preventive aspect of NCDs is strengthened under<strong> Comprehensive Primary Health Care <\/strong>through Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centre scheme, by promotion of wellness activities and targeted communication at the community level.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Other initiatives<\/strong> for increasing public awareness about NCDs and for the promotion of healthy lifestyle includes:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Observation of <strong>National &amp; International Health Days<\/strong> and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use of print, electronic and social media for continued<strong> community awareness<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Furthermore, healthy eating is also promoted through FSSAI.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fit India movement<\/strong> is implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and various <strong>Yoga-related<\/strong> activities are carried out by the Ministry of AYUSH.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Health Department<\/strong> is taking up a new initiative as part of the <strong>NCD Control programme<\/strong> to conduct population-based screening for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and its risk factors, covering the entire State.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The idea is to <strong>prepare a Statewide community registry<\/strong> of those above 30 years with NCDs with the support of local self-governments so that the State has a clear estimation of the actual population suffering from various NCDs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Way ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Urban policies are powerful public health interventions that can serve to promote population health.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Health is, unfortunately, an afterthought in most national urban planning policies and mostly non-existent in national urban policy documents from lower and middle-income countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These need to be dealt with on a war footing if India is going to make progress in its fight against cardiovascular disease, obesity and T2D.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q] <\/strong>The cities of India are amidst an epidemic of historic proportions in non-communicable diseases (NCD). Discuss the reasons &amp; consequences. Suggest policy measures to prepare India\u2019s cities for the future.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syllabus: GS3\/ Indian Economy &amp; Related Issues, GS2\/ Health In News Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) Urban India and challenge of multiple health risks Outcome\/Impact Suggestions Government Initiatives targeting NCDs in India&nbsp; Way ahead Daily Mains Question[Q] The cities of India are amidst an epidemic of historic proportions in non-communicable diseases (NCD). Discuss the reasons &amp; consequences. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18356"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18359,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18356\/revisions\/18359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}