The States and Union Territories has been given advise by the Union Health ministry to hold screening sessions in school and college campuses for mental health and non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes and blood pressure at regular intervals. The main objective is to provide timely treatment for these chronic diseases through the early diagnosis.
As per the report of India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the burden from non-communicable diseases increased from 30 per cent to 55 per cent between 1990 and 2016, while the communicable diseases dropped from 61 per cent to 33 per cent in the same period.
A senior officer of health ministry sent a letter to the principal secretaries in states and UTs regarding the implantation of measures like ensuring tobacco free campus, restricting use of unhealthy diet including sugar sweetened beverages and junk food in canteens and establishing counselling centres on mental health condition and tobacco cessation.
The official also advised the principal secretaries in states and UTs to promote physical activity and yoga in the campus and creating an enabling environment to mitigate air pollution. Education institutions can play a critical role in these areas," the letter stated.
As per the data provided by agencies, nearly 12 percent of people in the age group 15-24 years use tobacco products and around 5 per cent of individuals in the age group of 15-29 years are either obese or over-weight.
It is very important to encourage children to be physically active and be involved in sports and games right from school days to avoid non-communicable diseases. Children must understand the harmful effects of junk food on their physical and mental health. School and colleges must conduct time to time sessions in prevention and early detection of diseases and called for massive screening drives to identify risk factors for cardiovascular disease among people and take preventive measures.
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