Maharashtra Unveils Action Plan To Combat Childhood NCDs Affecting Over Six Million Children

Mumbai: Maharashtra will strengthen childhood non-communicable disease (NCD) care by expanding school screenings, ensuring free essential medicines and improving district-level services, Health Secretary Dr. Nipun Vinayak announced at a UNICEF–PIB workshop in Mumbai. Experts called NCDs an “invisible epidemic” affecting over six million children in the state.

Over Six Million Children Living with NCDs

Over six million children in Maharashtra are living with NCDs, including 3.3 million with asthma, 2.4 million who are obese, about 2,000 new cases of Type 1 diabetes annually and 20,000–25,000 cases of congenital heart disease, experts revealed. Conditions once considered adult illnesses are increasingly affecting children. Globally, NCDs account for 71% of all deaths, while in India they cause nearly two in three deaths.

Dr. Vinayak said the government is prioritising school screenings, free access to essential medicines and improved district-level care. He added that early interventions during pregnancy at primary health centres can prevent many such diseases and stressed reaching marginalised communities.

UNICEF and AIIMS Partnership for Prevention

Dr. Prashant Joshi, Executive Director of AIIMS Nagpur, said the partnership with UNICEF and the state allows a shift from treatment to prevention, “reaching children and families early, building healthier habits and reducing the burden of childhood NCDs.”

The workshop provided a platform for health professionals to share insights and deliberate on strategies to prevent and manage childhood NCDs. “Childhood NCDs are not just a health issue. They impact education, family income and mental well-being. No child should miss school or feel isolated because of a disease that can be managed with the right care. Children’s health defines the state’s future,” said Smita Vats Sharma, Director General of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (West Zone).

Maharashtra Sets Precedent for Other States

Sanjay Singh, Chief of UNICEF Maharashtra, called childhood NCDs “one of the most pressing but under-recognised challenges of our time” and said Maharashtra’s leadership in early detection and integrated management sets a precedent for the rest of the country. “UNICEF is privileged to partner with the Government of Maharashtra to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has the chance to live a healthy, fulfilling life,” he said. He noted that families face recurring medical costs, frequent travel to district centres and stigma at schools and in communities.

Singh also announced that AIIMS Nagpur, with UNICEF support, has launched a Paediatric NCD Clinic offering weekly outpatient services. The state health department is exploring ways to integrate children’s NCD care into the National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs.