“Lifestyle Diseases Need National Response”: Jitendra Singh

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 4th July: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said India’s growing burden of liver disease and Type-2 diabetes is part of a larger metabolic health crisis, calling for a mission-mode national awareness campaign focused on prevention, early diagnosis and healthy lifestyles.

Addressing the third anniversary of the Liver & Metabolic Disease Network (InFLiMeN) at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in New Delhi, Singh said metabolic disorders such as fatty liver, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance are closely interconnected and are increasingly affecting younger Indians.

The minister said the changing disease profile has made metabolic disorders a national concern rather than merely a medical issue. He stressed that scientific research must be complemented by large-scale public awareness and behavioural change to tackle lifestyle-related diseases.

Singh said the liver, despite being the body’s most resilient and regenerative organ, is coming under increasing stress due to unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, irregular sleep patterns, stress and environmental pollution. He said addressing these preventable risk factors should become a key component of India’s public health strategy.

Highlighting India’s unique metabolic profile, the minister said the country’s genetic predisposition and higher prevalence of central obesity make its population more vulnerable to diabetes, fatty liver and cardiovascular diseases, even among people with relatively low Body Mass Index (BMI).

He welcomed ILBS’ efforts to establish a National Liver Biobank and called for the development of affordable diagnostic technologies, community-based screening tools and indigenous biomarkers for early detection of liver diseases.

Singh also highlighted the role of biotechnology, genomics and Artificial Intelligence in advancing precision medicine and urged greater collaboration among scientific institutions to develop India-specific solutions for metabolic disorders.

Calling for a whole-of-society approach, the minister urged researchers, healthcare professionals, educational institutions, civil society and the media to promote evidence-based health practices and counter misinformation related to nutrition, obesity and lifestyle diseases.

He said reducing the burden of diabetes and fatty liver disease is essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 by protecting the health, productivity and potential of India’s young population.