Address NCDs to ensure health for all

By reducing the productivity of the workforce, non-communicable diseases also hit economic output

This year’s World Health Day’ marks the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organisation and the theme is ‘Health for All.’ Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is one of the targets the nations of the world set when they adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

One of the key challenges in achieving the UHC is the increase in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). The 2030 Agenda recognises NCDs as a major challenge and aims to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third through prevention and treatment (SDG target 3.4).

NCDs kill 41 million people globally each year, equivalent to 74% of all deaths. The contribution of NCDs, as top causes of death in India has risen to a staggering 64.9%, according to a study released by the Apollo Hospitals Group (April 2021).

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NCDs are likely to cause around US$47 trillion in output loss within the next two decades as per the global economic burden of NCD study report. The economic cost of NCDs also has a significant macroeconomic effect on India. They reduce the productivity of the workforce, resulting in a reduction in overall economic output. It is estimated that every 10% increase in NCD mortality results in a 0.5% reduction in annual economic growth.

Changing lifestyles, diets, and dietary patterns, as well as consumption of unhealthy ingredients such as sugar, salt, saturated fats, and trans fats, are major drivers of NCDs.

The high intake of fast food and ultra processed foods increases these health risks. Here, I will focus only on one of the NCDs, diabetes, and one of the unhealthy ingredients, sugar.

At least 5% of the world’s population is suffering from diabetes, according to a report by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). According to the WHO, around 422 million people in the world are suffering from diabetes, and about 15 lakh people die due to it every year.

India is often referred to as the ‘Diabetes Capital of the World’, as it accounts for 17% of the total number of diabetes patients in the world. In India, one in 12 adults is a patient of diabetes, according to a report from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). It is the second highest in the world after China, which has 141 million people living with diabetes. There are currently close to 80 million people with diabetes in India, and this number is expected to increase to 135 million by 2045. Kerala tops the list among states for diabetes—19.4% of its population has diabetes. If we correct our lifestyle patterns and eat healthy food, our blood sugar levels can be managed.

India has emerged as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar, surpassing Brazil, as well as the world’s second-largest exporter of sugar. Since ancient times, consumption of sugar and sweets has been intrinsic to Indian culture, traditions, and religion. Traditionally, any occasion in India is celebrated with sweets.

The volume of sugar consumption in fiscal year 2022 amounted to 28.5 million metric tonnes, an increase from the previous year’s 27 million tonnes. Sugar and jaggery, which account for 10% of daily caloric intake, are the cheapest sources of energy. However, WHO recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of calories each day. For an adult with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI), the WHO recommends 25 grams of sugar. But on average, Indian men consume 36 g or 9
teaspoons; women consume 20 g or 5 teaspoons, and children consume 12 g or 3 teaspoons.

Generating awareness among consumers is essential. Eat Right India, a pan-India campaign launched by FSSAI in July 2018, is an initiative to generate consumer awareness about healthier diets. As part of the campaign, FSSAI initiated a nation-wide social media campaign with the slogan “Aaj Se Thoda Kam”.

Front of the Pack Labelling (FoPL), proposed by the WHO, is a cost-effective messaging strategy and a simple, inexpensive, practical, and effective tool to help consumers make informed and healthier choices. The purpose is to warn or alert consumers about the unhealthy ingredients such as sugar, salt, and saturated fat in food packets. Hence, there must be a policy decision soon for the immediate implementation of FoPL in India, a mandatory warning label that has long been pending.

(The writer is a consumer activist and food safety expert.)