Regional Consultation on NCDs: Meaningful Engagement of People Living with NCDs in Eastern India

The impact of NCDs have been recognised worldwide and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) aims to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by one-third by 2030 (SDG target 3.4). Therefore, it is imperative that considerable focus is given on arresting NCDs particularly in the vulnerable population of our country. Keeping this in view a coalition of CSOs have been active since 2016 named Healthy India Alliance of which CFI is a founding member. The alliance aims to catalyse multi-sectoral action to enhance health and quality of life in India.

We are presently poised at a point when the UN High-level meeting on NCDs is going to be held on September 27, 2018 in New York where the global community will come together to plan the next steps for action. Indian health community is also brainstorming to develop a common advocacy agenda on the issues that need immediate attention.

On September 7, 2018 the 2 nd Regional Consultation on NCDs was held in Kolkata to engage People Living with NCDs in Eastern India so that they can make a meaningful contribution in NCD control in close consultation with Government officials, clinicians, public health experts and civil society organisations. This meeting was attended by 30 participants who interacted over the day to develop a common advocacy agenda for policy change in NCD control.

Regional Civil Society Consultation on Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Kolkata

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are on a rise the world over and alarmingly so in India. NCDs are estimated to account for around 60% of all deaths in India, most of those being premature, leading to loss in potentially productive years of life. In this scenario it has been globally recognized that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) can play a pivotal role in advancing NCD prevention and control strategies.

The Healthy India Alliance (HIA) in its 2 nd year of operation expanded its reach to include regional issues for advocacy and also initiate inclusion of regional CSOs as members of the alliance in NCD control. As part of the initiative, four Regional Civil Society Consultations on Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) were organized across the country and one was held in Kolkata with a selected group of NGOs working in eastern India. The consultation was held on in Kolkata where 8 regional NGOs actively participated in the deliberation. The meeting was addressed by five subject experts who focused on the issues of prioritizing NCDs, how NCDs are being a barrier to development, the NPCDCS programme where NGOs can play a significant role and the programmes on NCD initiated by the Govt. of West Bengal. Of the several recommendations that emerged around finding more definite action points the unanimous one was to work as a consultative group for streamlining the services of the NCD programmes run by the Govt. of West Bengal.

National Seminar on Economic and Social impact of Cancer in India

An assessment of economic burden of cancer that includes direct expenditure on detection, and treatment, morbidity cost with productivity loss for employers, patients and their families are major issues to resolve for health care policy makers, health care managers, clinicians, employers and social scientists. Besides, the widening disparity between different socio-economic classes due to differing ability for access and uptake of available health care facilities in the country. The financial burden and socio-psychological effects on the family and society in general are other aspects of cancer that need to be tackled. 

The Seminar, attended by 30 invited speakers from all over the country, discussed these critical issues that India needs to address on priority. The Seminar was held under the chairmanship of Prof. Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate and Professor at Harvard University.

Seminar on Life-style & Environment related Cancers in India and their Prevention

The one-day Scientific Seminar highlighted the increasing incidence of life-style and environmentally disposed cancers in India and their possible causes. The speakers also suggested the measures needed for their prevention. The Seminar also dealt with the adverse health effects of increasing air pollution in metropolitan towns, with particular reference to its role in elevating the incidence of pulmonary cancers. This was the first scientific meeting organized by CFI where Dr. K T Bhowmik, Safdarjung Hospital New Delhi; Dr. P.C. Gupta, TIFR, Mumbai, Dr. Qamar Rahman, ITRC, Lucknow; Dr.R.K. Bhattacharya, Kolkata, Dr. P.S. Basu of CNCI, and Dr. Manas Roy of R.K. Mission Hospital, Kolkata were invited speakers.