Score:
6.5/10
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Topper’s Copy
GS2
Social Justice
10 marks
India is witnessing an epidemiological transition with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) emerging as a major health challenge. Discuss the factors responsible for this trend and suggest measures to address it.
Student’s Answer
Evaluation by SuperKalam
Demand of the Question
- Discuss factors responsible for the rising trend of NCDs in India's epidemiological transition
- Suggest measures to address the NCD challenge comprehensively
What you wrote:
India is currently navigating a critical epidemiological transition, a shift in its disease burden from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [eg: CVDs, Cancers, D.M, hypertension, etc.], now constitute the Nation's foremost public health challenge, accounting for 63% of all deaths and posing significant socio-economic threats (WHO).
[DRAWING: A flowchart with three main sections.
On the left, under "Drivers of NCDs", are three points: "Demographic shifts", "Lifestyle changes (Poor diet, inactivity)", and "Socio-economic factors (Stress, Tobacco, Alcohol)".
These drivers point with an arrow to the center box labeled "Rising NCDs Burden".
An arrow from the center box points to the right section, labeled "Multi-Pronged solution". This section has three points: "Preventive health (Fit India)", "Healthcare strengthening (Screening → Early diagnosis)", and "Robust policy (NPCDCS, Sin taxes)".
A vertical box on the far right, spanning the "Multi-Pronged solution" section, is labeled "Healthy and Productive India".]
India is currently navigating a critical epidemiological transition, a shift in its disease burden from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [eg: CVDs, Cancers, D.M, hypertension, etc.], now constitute the Nation's foremost public health challenge, accounting for 63% of all deaths and posing significant socio-economic threats (WHO).
[DRAWING: A flowchart with three main sections.
On the left, under "Drivers of NCDs", are three points: "Demographic shifts", "Lifestyle changes (Poor diet, inactivity)", and "Socio-economic factors (Stress, Tobacco, Alcohol)".
These drivers point with an arrow to the center box labeled "Rising NCDs Burden".
An arrow from the center box points to the right section, labeled "Multi-Pronged solution". This section has three points: "Preventive health (Fit India)", "Healthcare strengthening (Screening → Early diagnosis)", and "Robust policy (NPCDCS, Sin taxes)".
A vertical box on the far right, spanning the "Multi-Pronged solution" section, is labeled "Healthy and Productive India".]
Suggestions to improve:
- Could briefly define "epidemiological transition" for conceptual precision (e.g., "shift from infectious to lifestyle-related diseases as per Omran's model").
- Can reference the National Health Policy 2017 or Global Burden of Disease Study to strengthen the academic foundation of the introduction.
What you wrote:
Factors responsible for NCD trend
1. Demographic and social shifts:
(i) Ageing population → more elderly → more vulnerable to NCD.
(ii) Rapid urbanisation → Sedentary lifestyles → Altered diets.
(iii) Increased stress → Modern competitive work environment → Risk for hypertension and heart diseases.
(iv) Environmental factor → Air pollutions → Chronic respiratory diseases.
(v) Gender disparities → Women in rural areas suffer delayed screenings and evaluations due to social stigma.
2. Lifestyle and behavioural changes:
(i) Unhealthy diets → unhealthy fats, salts, and sugar.
(ii) Physical inactivity → desk bound jobs and motorized transports.
(iii) Tobacco - consumption → India is world's second largest consumer of tobacco → Primary cause for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases.
(iv) Alcohol use → Liver disease → cancer → CVDs.
(v) Awareness gaps → low preventive health check-up.
Factors responsible for NCD trend
1. Demographic and social shifts:
(i) Ageing population → more elderly → more vulnerable to NCD.
(ii) Rapid urbanisation → Sedentary lifestyles → Altered diets.
(iii) Increased stress → Modern competitive work environment → Risk for hypertension and heart diseases.
(iv) Environmental factor → Air pollutions → Chronic respiratory diseases.
(v) Gender disparities → Women in rural areas suffer delayed screenings and evaluations due to social stigma.
2. Lifestyle and behavioural changes:
(i) Unhealthy diets → unhealthy fats, salts, and sugar.
(ii) Physical inactivity → desk bound jobs and motorized transports.
(iii) Tobacco - consumption → India is world's second largest consumer of tobacco → Primary cause for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases.
(iv) Alcohol use → Liver disease → cancer → CVDs.
(v) Awareness gaps → low preventive health check-up.
Suggestions to improve:
- Can incorporate economic transition factors: Rising middle class → increased purchasing power → consumption of ultra-processed foods (e.g., NFHS-5 data showing 24% urban adults overweight) and sedentary entertainment (OTT platforms, gaming).
- Could add healthcare system weakness: India's health expenditure at 1.3% of GDP (vs. WHO-recommended 5%) limits preventive infrastructure, leading to late-stage NCD diagnosis when treatment costs are 5-10x higher.
- Can mention globalization's impact: Entry of multinational fast-food chains and aggressive marketing (e.g., high sugar beverages targeting youth) as per WHO's concerns about commercial determinants of health.
What you wrote:
Measures to address the NCD Challenges
1. Policy and Governance measures
(i) Strengthen NPCDCS: → Increase funding and monitoring
(ii) Impose sin taxes → Tobacco, alcohol → Discourage consumption.
(iii) Food labelling regulations → Make healthier choices.
(iv) Multi sectoral action (health + Food processing + education)
2. Healthcare system strengthening:
(i) Empower - Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres. → Early diagnosis and early treatment.
(ii) Capacity Building → Train PHC staff + ASHA + Anganwadi workers.
(iii) Leverage digital health → m-Health (Mobile apps).
(iv) Promote R&D → India specific data → Regional solutions.
Measures to address the NCD Challenges
1. Policy and Governance measures
(i) Strengthen NPCDCS: → Increase funding and monitoring
(ii) Impose sin taxes → Tobacco, alcohol → Discourage consumption.
(iii) Food labelling regulations → Make healthier choices.
(iv) Multi sectoral action (health + Food processing + education)
2. Healthcare system strengthening:
(i) Empower - Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres. → Early diagnosis and early treatment.
(ii) Capacity Building → Train PHC staff + ASHA + Anganwadi workers.
(iii) Leverage digital health → m-Health (Mobile apps).
(iv) Promote R&D → India specific data → Regional solutions.
Suggestions to improve:
- Can add specific policy tools: Implement front-of-package warning labels (like Chile's model), ban trans-fats in food (as per WHO recommendations), and enforce COTPA 2003 amendments (85% pictorial warnings, tobacco-free zones near schools).
- Could include community-level interventions: Kerala's Ardram Mission integrating palliative care for NCD patients, or Tamil Nadu's diabetes screening program in primary schools to catch early onset cases.
- Can reference workplace wellness initiatives: Mandate corporate health checks under Factories Act, promote Fit India Movement's office yoga protocols, and incentivize employers offering gym memberships (as done in Nordic countries).
- Could mention international models: Thailand's sugar tax (reducing beverage consumption by 15%) or Singapore's HPB subsidies for gym memberships as replicable frameworks.
What you wrote:
Achieving India's $5 trillion economy goal hinges on tackling NCDs. Reducing premature mortality through preventive healthcare ensures a healthy, productive workforce, lowers - out of pocket spending, promotes social justice (Article - 38, 39), and secure our demographic dividend for sustainable growth.
"It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of Gold and silver". M.K. Gandhi.
Achieving India's $5 trillion economy goal hinges on tackling NCDs. Reducing premature mortality through preventive healthcare ensures a healthy, productive workforce, lowers - out of pocket spending, promotes social justice (Article - 38, 39), and secure our demographic dividend for sustainable growth.
"It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of Gold and silver". M.K. Gandhi.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could strengthen by citing 2nd ARC or Niti Aayog reports on healthcare reforms: "As per Niti Aayog's Health Index, states prioritizing preventive care (Kerala, Punjab) show 20-30% lower NCD mortality."
- Can end with a forward-looking vision: "Achieving SDG 3.4 (reduce NCD premature mortality by one-third by 2030) requires India to shift from curative to preventive paradigm, ensuring equitable access and community ownership."
The answer demonstrates good structural organization and covers both dimensions of the question adequately. However, it lacks analytical depth in explaining causal linkages between factors and NCD outcomes and remains generic in suggesting measures without operational specifics or best practices. Incorporating economic and globalization factors, specific policy tools (sin tax rates, COTPA amendments), and community-based/international models would significantly enhance answer quality.
Demand of the Question
- Discuss factors responsible for the rising trend of NCDs in India's epidemiological transition
- Suggest measures to address the NCD challenge comprehensively
What you wrote:
India is currently navigating a critical epidemiological transition, a shift in its disease burden from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [eg: CVDs, Cancers, D.M, hypertension, etc.], now constitute the Nation's foremost public health challenge, accounting for 63% of all deaths and posing significant socio-economic threats (WHO).
[DRAWING: A flowchart with three main sections.
On the left, under "Drivers of NCDs", are three points: "Demographic shifts", "Lifestyle changes (Poor diet, inactivity)", and "Socio-economic factors (Stress, Tobacco, Alcohol)".
These drivers point with an arrow to the center box labeled "Rising NCDs Burden".
An arrow from the center box points to the right section, labeled "Multi-Pronged solution". This section has three points: "Preventive health (Fit India)", "Healthcare strengthening (Screening → Early diagnosis)", and "Robust policy (NPCDCS, Sin taxes)".
A vertical box on the far right, spanning the "Multi-Pronged solution" section, is labeled "Healthy and Productive India".]
India is currently navigating a critical epidemiological transition, a shift in its disease burden from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [eg: CVDs, Cancers, D.M, hypertension, etc.], now constitute the Nation's foremost public health challenge, accounting for 63% of all deaths and posing significant socio-economic threats (WHO).
[DRAWING: A flowchart with three main sections.
On the left, under "Drivers of NCDs", are three points: "Demographic shifts", "Lifestyle changes (Poor diet, inactivity)", and "Socio-economic factors (Stress, Tobacco, Alcohol)".
These drivers point with an arrow to the center box labeled "Rising NCDs Burden".
An arrow from the center box points to the right section, labeled "Multi-Pronged solution". This section has three points: "Preventive health (Fit India)", "Healthcare strengthening (Screening → Early diagnosis)", and "Robust policy (NPCDCS, Sin taxes)".
A vertical box on the far right, spanning the "Multi-Pronged solution" section, is labeled "Healthy and Productive India".]
Suggestions to improve:
- Could briefly define "epidemiological transition" for conceptual precision (e.g., "shift from infectious to lifestyle-related diseases as per Omran's model").
- Can reference the National Health Policy 2017 or Global Burden of Disease Study to strengthen the academic foundation of the introduction.
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