India sees fastest rise in cancer cases compared to global rates : Apollo annual report

Chennai : Apollo Hospitals unveiled the fourth edition of its flagship annual report, “Health of Nation''. The report deep dives into the prevalence and growth of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India, and highlights the importance of preventive health measures. The report highlighted the concerning rise of NCDs in India, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues, all of which significantly impact the nation’s overall health. Particularly the escalating incidence of cancer in India compared to global rates, making India the “cancer capital of the world”.

The report further predicts a potential surge in healthcare burdens due to conditions such as pre-diabetes, prehypertension, and mental health disorders manifesting at increasingly younger ages. Highlighting the importance of regular health screenings, the report underscores their role in reducing Blood Pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI) levels, thereby lowering the risk of cardiac-related ailments. Apollo’s data further finds that while there continues to be a need to increase the penetration of health checks in India, people are increasingly choosing more comprehensive health checks today than before, a positive step towards safeguarding one’s health and wellness.

Indicating that the report demonstrated a significant need for immediate interventions to fight, prevent and reverse the growing epidemic of cancer, diabetes, hypertension and obesity among others, Dr Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said, “The importance of health in our nation’s development cannot be overstated. With our Health of Nation report, we hope to draw attention and awareness to the ever-increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and strongly believe that the entire healthcare ecosystem and the nation needs to come together and have a unified outlook so that we can combat NCDs in the truest sense. The need to educate the public and create individualised preventive healthcare solutions has never been greater. By prioritizing investments in health infrastructure, promoting preventive healthcare measures, and addressing health inequities, we will be able to unlock the full potential of our nation and pave the way for inclusive and sustainable development.”

Sharing the deep insights of the report, Dr Madhu Sasidhar, President and CEO, Apollo Hospitals, said, “The significant rise of NCDs, especially over the past few decades, represents a profound shift in the global health landscape, posing formidable challenges to individuals, communities, and nations. Innovation in preventive healthcare and boosting accessibility must become a priority for the entire healthcare industry. At Apollo Hospitals, we are actively integrating technology to break healthcare delivery barriers to offer highly personalized and effective services. From our AI-backed preventive healthcare program to a vast screening footprint, we are committed to leveraging the power of technology to improve disease prevention, increase the accuracy of diagnoses, and create world-class patient-centric treatment methodologies that shape the future of healthcare. As we navigate the complex challenges of the 21st century, let us recognize that health remains our most valuable asset and a healthy population serves as the bedrock of a prosperous and resilient society.”

In an effort to empower Indians with an accurate and unbiased understanding of their health, Apollo has launched a digital health risk assessment called ‘ProHealth Score’. This free risk score evaluates factors such as family history, lifestyle, and current symptoms, it generates a personalized numeric indicator of your health status. Additionally, it provides simple corrective measures to guide you toward better health.

Elucidating about how ProHealth risk score, which aims to raise awareness about the contributing factors to this health crisis and advocate for proactive measures to address the growing impact of NCDs on the population, Dr Sathya Sriram, Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Preventive Health, said, "The tool is designed to assist people in making informed decisions. A QR code which can be scanned will have a questionnaire on family history, lifestyle generates a personalized numeric indicator of your health status helps to understand their current health status and enables them to make informed lifestyle shifts."