The increase in life expectancy in the country has led to newer health challenges in the community. What are those challenges and what steps need to be taken to meet them?

India's life expectancy has risen substantially — to around 70 years — reflecting better nutrition, immunisation and healthcare. This demographic and epidemiological transition, however, brings a new burden of chronic and old-age-related illnesses even as communicable diseases persist.

Emerging health challenges

• Non-communicable diseases (NCDs): diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cancers now cause the majority of deaths.
• Ageing population: a growing elderly cohort needs geriatric and palliative care, and faces age-related disability.
• Mental health: rising depression, dementia and isolation among the elderly.
• Double burden: lifestyle diseases coexist with lingering infectious diseases and malnutrition.
• Financial strain: high out-of-pocket expenditure on chronic care.

Steps needed

• Strengthen primary care through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres for NCD screening.
• Expand the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) and geriatric wards.
• Promote preventive health — nutrition, physical activity, tobacco/alcohol control (Fit India, Eat Right).
• Scale up mental-health services under the National Mental Health Programme and Tele-MANAS.
• Deepen insurance cover (PM-JAY) to cut out-of-pocket costs.
• Build a trained geriatric and palliative-care workforce.

Conclusion

Longer lives demand a shift from episodic, curative care to continuous, preventive and geriatric-oriented healthcare, ensuring that added years are also healthy, dignified years.