The government, in view of the upcoming March 5 snap parliamentary elections, has decided to bring forward its annual month-long people’s health screening, which covers blood pressure, blood sugar, renal function, and body mass index.

The Ministry of Health and Population has asked agencies concerned to complete the programme early stating that election activities could interfere with the programme if held as originally scheduled.

The health ministry launched a month-long screening programme from February 13 to March 13 in the last fiscal year, 2024-25. This year also, the programme was originally scheduled for February 13-March 14.

“Election-related activities could affect the planned screening of major non-communicable diseases,” said Dr Pomawati Thapa, chief of the Non-communicable disease Section at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. “As per the ministry’s direction, we will ask agencies to start the screening at the earliest.”

“Rs 100,000 has been allocated to every district, and local units have been provided up to Rs 520,000 based on the population size to conduct the screening,” she said.

The burden of non-communicable diseases has risen alarmingly in recent years. The Nepal Burden of Disease 2017 report attributed two-thirds (66 percent) of total deaths to non-communicable diseases, while the figure jumped to 71.1 percent in the 2019 report. The Global Burden of Disease 2021 shows 73 percent of deaths are caused by non-communicable diseases.

Hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, liver problems, heart problems, and cervical cancer, among others, are major culprits that have fueled the morbidity and mortality rate in the country, according to public health experts.

They say that the month-long screening programme will help make people aware of the risk factors, diagnose the ailment at an early stage, and start medication, which will help prevent the conditions from getting worse.

Many people in the country do not even get their blood pressure checked and often learn about their condition when complications become severe.

A study conducted by the Health Department of Kathmandu Metropolitan City last year uncovered a growing health crisis among the city's residents. According to the findings, 39 percent of the population aged 30 and above in Kathmandu Metropolitan City suffers from high blood pressure or hypertension, a condition in which an individual’s blood pressure remains elevated over time.

It is an established risk factor for ischemic heart disease (also known as coronary heart disease), stroke, and kidney disease.

Of those suffering from high blood pressure, 13 percent were unaware of their condition, and around three percent were not taking medications despite knowing their health problems. Those who are not taking any medications despite knowing are young people who think that they can handle the problem by controlling their diet and exercise. They also worry about high treatment costs.

Likewise, five percent of people in the metropolis were newly diagnosed with diabetes, while 14.5 percent of those who underwent testing said that they already had the disease. Officials say another 2.4 percent of people were found not taking medications despite knowing that they have high blood sugar levels, and the reason is the same—young people who think that they can control the problems by changing their diet and exercising regularly, and those who are worried about high medical bills. Altogether, 22 percent of the metropolis residents above 30 are diabetic, according to the report.

Doctors say changes in dietary patterns, such as increased consumption of processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, and rising stress levels, are among the culprits for the rise in the burden of non-communicable diseases. They say that most patients suffering from non-communicable diseases seek treatment when the problems worsen, and in many cases, it is too late.

Public health experts say it is high time to focus on non-communicable diseases, as their prevalence has risen alarmingly. They said many lives could be saved if testing for non-communicable diseases were made free. Along with free testing, authorities should focus on behavioural changes—improvements in eating habits and physical exercise, among other things, experts say.