Deadly bacteria, surge in non-communicable diseases key challenges for India

As India moves into the new year health experts predict a rise in diseases due to multidrug resistant bacteria and in noncommunicable diseases in the country in the years to comeExperts said that India is progressing rapidly and along with this progress comes affluence and the concerns and problems associated with itldquoWe are going to see an increase in large numbers in the diseases which come with inactivity and obesity like high blood pressure heart disease which is heart attacks and ischemic heart diseaserdquo said Dr Preeti Chhabria consultant and director of internal medicine at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in MumbaiIndia will continue to lead the way in terms of diabetes because of the high carbohydrate intake in the diet of IndiansldquoBy 2030 were also going to see a large percentage of the population having concerns with obesity and being overweight Apart from this what is an extremely worrisome prediction for 2030 is that diseases with multidrug resistant bacteria will riserdquo Dr Chhabria saidUnless pharmaceutical companies come out with a large number of antibiotics what we are going to face in India is multiple infections with very very drug resistant bacteria Part of the problem is that there is an indiscriminate use of antibiotics todayHealth experts said that unless people curtail that use infections with drug resistant bacteria are only going to be a growing problemldquoWhat I do predict is that diseases like tuberculosis and HIV will be under better control and in lesser numbers and have less of an impact on healthcare spending I think those are being better controlled and a greater watch is being kept on them So those are going to be less of a concernrdquo said Dr ChhabriaAccording to Dr Dipu TS associate professor Division of Infectious Diseases Amrita Hospital Kochi Indias healthcare future in 2030 presents a dual challenge mdash a surge in NonCommunicable Diseases NCDs like diabetes heart disease and cancer fuelled by aging lifestyle shifts and urbanisation NCDs will likely take centrestage with figures like diabetes skyrocketing from 62 million to 79 million by 2030ldquoThe threat of infectious diseases will persist as evidenced by the Covid19 pandemic Emerging infectious diseases antibiotic resistance and social inequalities keep them relevantrdquo Dr Dipu saidTo navigate this India needs a twopronged approach Bolstering healthcare infrastructure promoting healthy lifestyles and ensuring equitable access to care for both NCDs and infectious diseasesDS Negi CEO at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital amp Research Centre in DelhiNCR said that early 2023 marked a milestone in Indias fight against cervical cancer with the launch of its own highly effective domesticallydeveloped vaccineldquoBeyond vaccines innovative treatment approaches like targeted therapies and immunotherapies gained traction in India These personalised and immuneboosting strategies are expected to see even wider adoption in 2024 and beyond offering new hope for patientsrdquo Dr Negi saidThe other exciting trend reshaping healthcare in 2023 was the growing integration of Artificial Intelligence AI particularly in radiology and imagingldquoAIs ability to analyse vast datasets empowers radiologists by identifying subtle patterns and anomalies in scans leading to faster more precise diagnoses This not only expedites the diagnostic process but also minimises the possibility of missed details ultimately improving patient outcomesrdquo he emphasisedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever