As India leaps forward in economic development and global competitiveness, a new set of health concerns is afflicting the country. Chief among these are noncommunicable diseases — cancer, diabetes, stroke, and especially heart disease — which now account for more of India’s disease burden than communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and nutrition combined. This looming health crisis has significant economic consequences. As noted by the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases strike Indians 10 years earlier than Western countries, disproportionately affecting working-age adults. Cardiovascular disease, in particular, is already a massive drain on the country’s health and productivity, and this burden is projected to double in coming decades.

• Who suffers from heart disease?
  • prevalence by age group, sex, and urban/rural 2000-2015
• The societal burden of heart disease:
  • total DALYs for India by cause
  • total deaths for India by cause, age group, and sex
  • Productive years of life lost due to CVD
    • by age group, years 2000 and 2030 projection
    • compares India with 6 other countries

Resources

• Non-Communicable Diseases — India’s Next Major Health Challenge (World Bank)
• Dr. K. Srinath Reddy on India’s health care needs (Forbes India)
• A Race Against Time: The Challenge of Cardiovascular Disease in Developing Economies (The Earth Institute at Columbia University)
• Definition of DALY (World Health Organization)

Results