A study in four rural villages in India determined that non-communicable and chronic diseases are the leading causes of death observed. The conclusion also led us to believe that this pattern of death is unlikely to be unique to these villages and provided a new insight into the rapid progression of epidemiological transition in rural India. Four studies in rural Alamarathupatti, Samiyarpatti and Pillayar Natham in the state of Tamilnadu and another in the village of Karakhdi, in the state of Gujarat showed villagers had marginalized access to health care and that there were no primary health care centers that could manage the chronic diseases. This lacuna made them even more vulnerable to chronic diseases and their complications. Seventy per cent of the population in India lives in the villages (700 million people) and the importance of educating and delivering healthcare to this large base of India in its resource-poor settings is an urgent and viable issue. Large-scale efforts to improve general awareness about diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, its risk factors, and to promote healthy lifestyles, must be undertaken. According to Srinath Reddy at present chronic diseases contribute to an estimated 53% of deaths and 44% of disability-adjusted life-years lost and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are highly prevalent in urban areas. In addition, according to the authors, hypertension and dyslipidaemia, although common, are inadequately detected and …
