Improved access to quality healthcare is crucial for India’s 431 million children, including those living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), according to Luigi D’Aquino, UNICEF India’s Chief of Health. He highlights UNICEF’s efforts in collaboration with governments, partners, and donors to enhance primary health systems, leading to better prevention, detection, and treatment of childhood NCDs in India.
D’Aquino underscores the significance of early detection and diagnosis of NCDs, emphasizing that children and adolescents with NCDs require access to trained professionals for effective management and prevention of lifelong complications.
In a conversation, D’Aquino addresses several key points regarding healthcare in India:
1. Progress in Child Survival: D’Aquino highlights India’s strides in child survival and development, citing reductions in maternal mortality, neonatal mortality, and under-5 mortality rates, surpassing global and regional averages. He attributes this progress to supportive policies and flagship programs like the India Newborn Action Plan (INAP), the Ayushman Bharat program, and the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Program.
2. Importance of Preventing NCDs: D’Aquino stresses the critical need to prevent, test, screen, and treat NCDs in children, as these diseases account for a significant proportion of deaths in India. Early intervention significantly improves outcomes, prevents complications, and enhances quality of life for children with NCDs.
3. Challenges in NCD Testing and Treatment: He acknowledges challenges such as limited awareness, access to healthcare facilities, financial barriers, and cultural stigma surrounding NCDs. UNICEF addresses these challenges through awareness campaigns, strengthening health systems, financial support, and promoting cultural sensitivity among healthcare providers.
4. Impact Beyond Health: NCDs not only affect health but also strain resources, disrupt education, cause economic burdens, and contribute to social stigma and discrimination. Addressing these challenges requires holistic strategies encompassing poverty alleviation, education, social support, and public awareness campaigns.
5. Optimism for the Future: D’Aquino expresses optimism about India’s vision of universal health coverage and UNICEF’s continued efforts to promote and protect children’s health rights. He highlights collaborations with organizations like Eli Lilly and Company to extend NCD interventions to resource-limited areas in India, aiming to improve outcomes for millions of children and youth at risk of NCDs.
Overall, D’Aquino’s insights underscore the importance of comprehensive approaches to healthcare that go beyond treatment to encompass prevention, education, and social support, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by NCDs among children and adolescents in India.
