Gadwal: On World Health Day, the staff at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Aija, part of the Alampur Constituency, held an awareness program on Monday. Dr. Sandhya Kiranmayi, the District Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Program Officer, was the chief guest for the event.
During her speech, Dr. Kiranmayi talked about the importance of understanding non-communicable diseases. She explained that these are long-term illnesses that do not spread from person to person, but still have a big impact on health and society.
She shared that NCDs are responsible for about 74% of deaths worldwide. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. The four main types of NCDs are heart diseases, cancer, chronic lung diseases, and diabetes.
Dr. Kiranmayi said that many of these diseases are caused by unhealthy habits. Things like obesity, smoking, drinking alcohol, eating too much fast food, and not exercising enough can all lead to NCDs.
She suggested three main ways to fight NCDs. First is individual responsibility—people can avoid up to 80% of NCDs by living healthier lives. This includes eating better, being active, and avoiding harmful habits like smoking.
The second approach is action at the social and government level. Governments should create strong health policies, promote healthy environments in schools and workplaces, and provide clear health information to the public.
The third step is making sure everyone has access to good healthcare. Dr. Kiranmayi said it’s important to provide affordable treatment, especially to people in rural and poor areas. She reminded everyone of a famous quote by Nelson Mandela: “Health is not a luxury, it is a human right.”
Dr. Kiranmayi ended her speech by saying that the choices we make today affect our health in the future. Even though NCDs develop slowly, being aware and taking action can make a big difference.
Many health workers attended the event, including Medical Officer Dr. Kiran, Coordinator Shyam Sundar, MPHEO Obulesayya, Supervisors Srinivas, Suvarna, and Shobharani, NCD Supervisor Mahanthesh, ANMs from all sub-centers, and the district NCD health team.
