WHD: Lifestyle diseases on rise in J&K, experts push for preventive care

• By Mansoor Peer
• Comments 0
• 09 Apr 2026

Srinagar, Apr 07: Lifestyle diseases are witnessing a steady rise in Jammu and Kashmir, with experts raising concern over increasing cases of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, and calling for urgent strengthening of preventive healthcare systems across the region.

On World Health Day, public health experts stressed the need to establish dedicated preventive medicine clinics and promote lifestyle modifications to curb the growing burden of NCDs.

Dr S Mohammad Salim Khan, Head, Department of Community Medicine, GMC Srinagar, said prevention is better than cure.

“It is high time that preventive medicine clinics are established at medical college and district hospital or CHC levels to provide comprehensive preventive healthcare, lifestyle modification support, care, and counselling,” he said.

The senior doctor noted that around 10 percent of the population is diabetic, another 10 percent is in a pre-diabetic state, and nearly 30 percent of adults are hypertensive. He further said that obesity is on the rise, particularly among children and adolescents.

“About 10 percent of the population is elderly, and by 2050, this figure is expected to reach 20 percent. Most of them will likely suffer from multiple illnesses, co-morbid conditions, and will be on polypharmacy,” he added.

The public health expert also stressed that the peripheral health system needs further strengthening to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare at the village level.

Dr Suhail Naik, Senior Consultant and Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, GMC Srinagar, said the current generation of children is facing a different set of health conditions and paediatric medicine is undergoing a significant transition.

“As child health experts, we are increasingly confronting a spectrum of chronic and multifactorial conditions, including rising childhood obesity, asthma, genetic disorders, behavioural problems, and adolescent substance abuse,” he said.

He said that, as per the WHO, childhood obesity has increased dramatically worldwide, driven by sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, and urbanisation, predisposing children to early-onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“Due to loss of social fabric, busy life schedules, prolonged screen time, behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD are on the rise,” Dr Naik added.

Furthermore, there is an ever-growing menace of adolescent drug use, which poses an additional public health challenge with long-term psychological and societal consequences.

“Addressing these interconnected issues requires a shift toward preventive, multidisciplinary, and community-based paediatric care, focusing on early intervention, lifestyle modification, mental health support, and policy-driven public health strategies,” he said.

Dr Yousuf Tak, Senior Consultant with J&K Health Services and President of the Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK), said that the use of polythene contributes to the presence of microplastics, which have harmful effects on human health and are potentially carcinogenic.

He stressed the need to encourage the use of eco-friendly alternatives such as cotton bags and called for a shift away from harmful habits. “These changes are very important. Earlier, we consumed organic foods, but now our food habits and lifestyle have changed,” he said.

Dr Tak further highlighted the need for comprehensive health insurance, noting that treatment costs have increased considerably. He said that people often fail to understand the seriousness of lifestyle diseases and stressed the need for greater awareness.

“While financial status has improved, changing food habits have adversely affected human health. These issues are important and must be addressed,” he added.

World Health Day is observed annually on April 7 to draw attention to key health issues affecting people across the globe. The day marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948.