Parliament Question: Preventive Healthcare and Screening Programmes

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3252 ANSWERED ON7TH AUGUST,2026 PREVENTIVE HEALTHCAREAND SCREENING PROGRAMMES †3252. SHRIGYANESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister OFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedto state:

(a) the current status of early screening programmes for diabetes, hypertension and major cancers in primaryandsecondary healthcare facilitiesacross the country;

(b) the extent towhich nutrition educationhasbeeninstitutionalised underpublic health initiativesand the detailsthereof;

(c)the steps takenby the Government incoordination with other Ministries, totackle airpollution and ensure accesstosafe drinkingwater aspreventive healthinterventions; and

(d) whether any cost-benefit assessment has been conducted tocompare the expenditure on preventive healthcare with the expenditure on tertiary healthcare and ICU infrastructure along with its findings and the action taken by the Government thereon, along with the details regarding the State of Madhya Pradesh? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (d): The Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India provides technical and financial support to the States andUnion Territories under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD). Under NP-NCD, 770 District NCD Clinics, 233 Cardiac Care Units and 6,410 NCD clinics at Community Health Centres have been set up across the country. In addition, 524 Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) are functional across the country to ensure cancercare accessibility at district level.

A population-based initiative for prevention, control and screening for common NCDs i.e. diabetes, hypertension, oral, breast and cervical cancer was rolled out in the country under National Health Mission (NHM) as a part of Comprehensive Primary Health Care. Under the initiative, persons more than 30 years of age are targeted for screening. Till July 2026, 42.4 crore have been screened for hypertension, 42.21crore for diabetes,36.11 crore for oral cancer, 16.94 crore for breast cancer and 9.31 crore for cervical cancer as per the National NCD Portal.

Nutrition education has been institutionalised as an integral component of public health initiatives under the National Health Mission (NHM) and POSHAN Abhiyaan across the country including Madhya Pradesh. A lifecycle approach is adopted to provide nutrition education and counselling throughAyushmanArogyaMandirs(AAMs),VillageHealth,SanitationandNutritionDays(VHSNDs), and community-based platforms. Under POSHAN Abhiyaan, implemented in convergence with the Ministry of Women & Child Development, behaviour change communication is promoted through the Jan Andolan approach, supported by nutrition e-learning modules developed by ICMR–NationalInstituteofNutrition(NIN).NutritioneducationisfurtherstrengthenedthroughRashtriyaBalSwasthya Karyakram (RBSK),Rashtriya Kishor SwasthyaKaryakram (RKSK)andthe EatRight India initiative.

These interventions are implemented uniformly across all States and Union Territories, including Madhya Pradesh.

Ministry of Environment,ForestandClimate Change haslaunched the National Clean Air Programme

(NCAP) in 2019 to address issues related to air pollution. Ministry of Jal Shakti in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal to provide potable water to every rural household of the countrythrough functional tapwater connection.

Preventive aspect of NCDs is strengthened under Comprehensive Primary Health Care through Ayushman Arogya Mandir, by promotion of wellness activities and targeted communication at the community level across the country including including Madhya Pradesh. Further initiatives for increasing public awareness about NCDs and for promotion of healthy lifestyle includes observation of National & International Health Days and use of print, electronic and social media for continued community awareness. In addition, the Fit India Movement promotes regular physical activity and healthy living, while the Khelo India programme encourages sports and fitness among all age groups.

Various Yoga-related activities are also undertaken by the Ministry of AYUSH to promote health and wellness. *****