Time to Lead: Protecting India’s Children from the Silent Rise of NCDs
A growing crisis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) threatens the health, dreams, and futures of millions of children and adolescents. Together, we can change the story
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India is undergoing an epidemiological transition. While the country has achieved remarkable success in improving child survival and controlling infectious diseases, a quieter crisis is unfolding.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) —cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) and diabetes now account for 60 percent of all deaths in India1. And alarmingly, children are increasingly in the line of fire.
In 2017, NCDs impacted 2.1 million children globally2, with over 1 million deaths under age 203. In India, NCDs are not just diseases of adulthood; they are cutting into childhoods and shaping futures.
“Childhood is our frontline in the fight against NCDs. What we do today will decide India’s future health,” says a UNICEF health expert.
Need to Know About NCDs
“Since she was three, Kanchan would have a near constant fever” her father recalls. “Taking the medicine would make her feel better for a little while, but the fever would always come back.”
“I cried when they showed me the insulin. The needles looked so scary,” Pallavi recalls. But today, she speaks with quiet confidence. “If I’m old enough to have diabetes, I’m old enough to take my own injections.”, she says, matter-of-factly.
The Hidden Burden on Children
For many children, living with an NCD means more than daily medication or frequent hospital visits. It means stigma in classrooms, anxiety about fitting in, and a missed opportunity to grow and thrive. A child with Type 1 Diabetes requires constant monitoring; asthma may limit play and sports; and those with sickle cell anemia continue to face a daily burden affecting both the child and their families.
An Age of Opportunity
The Good News? Childhood NCDs can be effectively managed if detected early. Timely interventions — including medications, regular health monitoring, and healthy lifestyle changes — can significantly reduce long-term complications and help the child thrive.
Childhood also offers a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for healthier adult lives: up to 70 per cent of preventable adult NCD deaths are linked to risks that begin in adolescence. This makes childhood and teenage years a critical window for prevention. Encouraging healthy diets, physical activity, and early screening can drastically cut the future burden of NCDs.
Causes NCDs in Children -
Childhood NCDs are the result of an interplay of: maternal and pregnancy conditions; early life nutrition; environmental exposures; socio-economic inequities; urbanization and lifestyle changes; and genetic factors.
NCDs in children can stem from genetic factors (e.g., sickle cell anemia), lifestyle changes (e.g., poor diet leading to type 2 diabetes), or environmental triggers (e.g., pollution causing asthma).
“The cost of inaction is staggering, both for health and economies. Prevention in early life is our best investment,” says a pediatric specialist from Chhattisgarh.
A Shared Commitment
UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government of India, is supporting the initiatives for early detection, treatment, and awareness of NCDs in children. The development of the national guidelines on childhood NCDs marks a milestone in building stronger health systems for the next generation.
Time to Lead
The message is clear: NCD prevention must start at home, in schools, and in communities. It’s time to challenge stigma, build awareness, and ensure that every child has the chance to grow up healthy.
Join the campaign. Break the silence. Protect our children. It’s time to lead...!