Background and Context:
Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) retard India's development goals and adversely affects the outcomes of its development programmes. It is therefore pertinent that the latter integrate prevention and control of NCDs into their fold to maximise effectiveness.
Aim:
A ground-breaking, preliminary assessment of India’s major development programmes was undertaken to examine the scope for mainstreaming NCDs in them, as also to inform health and development programming in the country and beyond.
Strategy/Tactics:
Secondary literature pertaining to 20 development programmes across 8 Ministries of the Government of India was analysed for their relevance to NCD prevention, health promotion and interventions along the continuum of care.
Programme/Policy Process/ (Major Findings): Agriculture, rural and urban development programmes can help to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in communities. Women empowerment programmes could be engaged to mobilise community action against alcohol abuse, identify women’s barriers and solutions to accessing NCD-related services. School health and employment generation programmes can be engaged to address tobacco demand and supply side concerns respectively. Urban development programmes could improve urban design to facilitate physically activity.
The pan – India reach of employment generation and child feeding programmes can ensure nation-wide coverage of NCD interventions. Moreover, the existing programme delivery mechanisms of programmes for tribal welfare, out-of-school girls and unorganised labour could help to reach NCD-interventions to high-risk, but hard-to-reach, groups. Development programmes with community mobilisation, research and policy mandates could help to advocate NCD-related policies. Channeling one percent development budget would increase NCD resources by 128 percent.
Outcomes/What was learned:
Mainstreaming NCDs in development programmes can help to: • Improve outcomes of development and NCD programmes; • Address the socio-economic determinants and implications of NCDs; • Take health interventions to high-risk, hard-to reach groups• Enable the use of existing infrastructure and mechanisms for programme delivery• Pool resources across sectors