Capacity building is necessary for medical officers in India to address the challenges posed by Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases (NAFLD) effectively, says Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a group of conditions resulting from excess build-up of fat in the liver, often seen in people who are overweight or obese. Left untreated, NAFLD can get worse and lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis. The build-up of fat in the liver can also increase the risk of other serious health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease. It can also increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, which the most common cause of death in people with NAFLD. Early diagnosis and management of NAFLD can prevent or reduce these complications.
Medical officers posted in primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs) and district hospitals can play a major role in tackling Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) at the primary level, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan stated during a national webinar on NAFLD.
More than 7000 medical officers from across the country join the webinar, which was organized by the Health Ministry to empower medical officers to tackle NAFLD at the primary level. It was organized under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases.
The panelists included Dr Ajay Duseja, PGIMER, Chandigarh; Dr Ashish Goel, CMC, Vellore; Dr S.K. Sarin, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences; and Dr Vineet Ahuja, AIIMS, New Delhi.
NAFLD Emerging As A Growing Health Concern
Rajesh Bhushan, who chaired the webinar, highlighted the challenges posed by the rise in non-communicable diseases in the country, including Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
He stressed the need for more capacity building programmes for medical officers to provide them with the right knowledge and tools so they can do address the challenges posed by Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease effectively.
Because medical officers of PHCs, CHCs and District Hospitals work with the community directly, it is important that they have the right information to disseminate to the community, he stated.
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During the capacity building webinar, the panelists also discussed NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis) and its impact on global health. NASH is an aggressive form of fatty liver disease characterized by liver inflammation and can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and even liver cancer.
Apart from regular webinars, this Capacity Building Programme will have 3-day residential training programmes, starting from Madhya Pradesh.
The Burden of Non-communicable Diseases in India
A study by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed a significant increase in the number of deaths due to NCDs in India, from 37.9 per cent in 1990 to 61.8 per cent in 2016. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) and diabetes were identified the four major NCDs in India.
As many as 32 per cent of the Indian population is estimated to be affected by NAFLD, mostly overweight or obese people and diabetics. Acknowledging the need for action to address this growing burden, the Union Health Ministry included non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the national programme for control and prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in 2021.
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