Rog-Mukt bharat

India with its 138 crore population is buzzing with festivities at this time. While
we are busy with preparations for Diwali there is also a feeble caution on
resurgence of pandemic cases if people ignore to observe Covid appropriate
behaviour.
The Indian social demographic picture shows that, ageing population numbers
are steadily going up, which is seen as an indication of better economic
progress. But this is a cause of concern as ageing people need more and better
health facilities as age related health issues needed a different approach. As of
now the geriatric health perspective has not taken a serious note by policy
makers as well as health care delivery system in India. Over and above this,
epidemiological studies indicate that we are still struggling to handle
communicable diseases; while non-communicable diseases are taking big toll.
In India, 26 per cent of all deaths occur due to cardiovascular diseases. More
than 1.73 million new cancer cases are likely to be recorded each year by 2020
in India.
Malnutrition and air pollution continue to be the top risk factors causing death
and disability in India in 2016, according to the Global Burden of Disease report
released on September 15, 2017. Maternal and child malnutrition caused 68
million DALYs in India in 2016–the highest in the world. The overall burden of
disease is assessed using the disability-adjusted life year (DALY), a time-based
measure that combines years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs) and
years of life lost due to time lived in states of less than full health, or years of
healthy life lost due to disability (YLDs).
While the above is the grim picture of the country’s health status; India
completed a feat of 100 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines in about 9 months
since the drive began. The collective spirit that worked behind this milestone is
to be commended by WHO & UNESCO.
With this spirit we must also address the need to make India ‘Rog-mukt Bharat’
by taking responsibility to care of the elderly; pay more attention to good
nutrition and healthy life style; protect from pollution and environmental related
issues; handle emotional and mental health by providing sufficient social
supports. On this fourth Naturopathy day (November 18) let us re-dedicate

ourselves to commit to this stupendous task and free India from disease as is
envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Nation.

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