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Healthcare must prepare for an ageing population, NITI Aayog vice-chairman says

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • India must redesign its healthcare system for an ageing population and focus on healthy ageing, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok K. Lahiri said.
  • Lahiri said the country faces continuing infectious disease and maternal and child health challenges alongside rising rates of non-communicable diseases.
  • He warned that indiscriminate medicine use, particularly antibiotics, could worsen antimicrobial resistance and undermine treatment for future generations.

India’s healthcare system must prepare for a larger elderly population and a different pattern of disease, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Ashok K. Lahiri said at an event at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.

“The share of old people is going to increase and the health problems of the old of the future will also be different from what the young suffer today. The patient of tomorrow will not necessarily resemble the patient of yesterday,” Lahiri said.

The share of old people is going to increase and the health problems of the old of the future will also be different from what the young suffer today. The patient of tomorrow will not necessarily resemble the patient of yesterday.

· Ashok K. LahiriThe NITI Aayog vice-chairman described how India’s future healthcare needs will differ as the population ages.

India still faces infectious diseases, maternal and child health challenges and undernutrition. At the same time, non-communicable diseases are increasingly shaping healthcare needs. Lahiri pointed to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, obesity, and metabolic and liver diseases.

We have not completely overcome infectious diseases, maternal and child health care challenges or undernutrition. But at the same time, non communicable diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, obesity and metabolic and liver diseases are increasingly shaping our healthcare needs.

· Ashok K. LahiriHe outlined the country’s simultaneous burden of persistent health challenges and rising chronic diseases.

He said the health system built today must serve tomorrow’s older population and urged people to focus on ageing well. Without healthy ageing, providing care for older people could become expensive, he said.

Lahiri also raised concern about the indiscriminate use of medicines, especially antibiotics. “Antimicrobial resistance reminds us that medicines that save lives today must remain effective for future generations,” he said.

Antimicrobial resistance reminds us that medicines that save lives today must remain effective for future generations.

· Ashok K. LahiriHe warned against the indiscriminate use of medicines, particularly antibiotics.
About this summary

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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