Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic health conditions that are not contagious to others. NCDs, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, are collectively responsible for 74% of all deaths worldwide. India is experiencing an epidemiological transition and the burden of NCDs is rising. The rising burden of NCDs poses a significant public health challenge, impacting economic productivity and straining healthcare systems.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India launched the National Program for the Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) in 100 districts in 2010, and later, it was expanded to about 468 districts in 2012. To improve the health-seeking behavior of beneficiaries, and effective implementation of the components of NPCDCS (which focuses on five common NCDs to date- hypertension, diabetes, and three common cancers-oral, breast, and cervical) population-based screening (PBS) of eligible individuals was introduced by GoI. PBS implementation involves a substantial amount of data collection through paper-based formats which was done manually. Without an IT platform, the data couldn’t be stored and utilized as required. Today, the NPCDCS program is known as NP-NCD (National Program for Prevention and Control Of Non-Communicable Diseases.
Leveraging prior successful partnerships with the state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Dell, and Tata Trusts collaborated with MoHFW to support PBS. Tata Trusts signed an MoU with MoHFW for June 2018 - 2023, with the key objective of developing and deploying a National NCD IT platform. Dell became the technological partner for application development. In October 2023, Tata Trusts and Dell extended their support for the NP-NCD program through another MoU with MoHFW for two years (Oct 2023 - Sep 2025). Under this MoU, the Health Systems Transformation Platform (HSTP), registered as the Forum for Health Systems Design and Transformation, supports the execution of further agreed activities for the NP-NCD
Through a three-tiered support system, the Pan India NCD team- Technical Support Unit (TSU) is supporting the respective government stakeholders- at National (NCD Division, GoI), state (state NCD Cells/Units) and district (District NCD Cells/Units) levels. The team provides capacity building and techno-managerial support to enable digitization of records related to NP-NCD-enrolment, screening, diagnosis, treatment & follow-up through the National NCD Portal for early detection and management of NCDs among the target population (Population above 30 years of age), ensuring “Continuum of Care” with technology as enabler; additionally, TSU facilitate in structuring health policy and governance for improvement of healthcare related to NCDs.
The National Health Policy 2017 promotes the use of digital tools and technology to enhance the performance of India’s health system. Committed to achieving universal, affordable, and equitable healthcare, the policy aims to minimize out-of-pocket expenses. The National NCD Portal is central to digitally transforming primary healthcare by creating longitudinal health records, enabling providers to prioritize care for vulnerable populations and tailor services based on local needs.
Technical Support Units play a key role in adopting this portal by building the capacity of health personnel through a cascade model while offering operational and technical support. The portal ensures patient safety by providing access to medical records and reduces healthcare costs by focusing on the most appropriate therapies and interventions. It facilitates evidence-based planning, resource optimization, and efficient delivery of care. Additionally, the portal aids program managers in supervision, health promotion, prevention, and screening for non-communicable diseases.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India launched the National Program for the Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) in 100 districts in 2010, and later, it was expanded to about 468 districts in 2012. To improve the health-seeking behavior of beneficiaries, and effective implementation of the components of NPCDCS (which focuses on five common NCDs to date- hypertension, diabetes, and three common cancers-oral, breast, and cervical) population-based screening (PBS) of eligible individuals was introduced by GoI. PBS implementation involves a substantial amount of data collection through paper-based formats which was done manually. Without an IT platform, the data couldn’t be stored and utilized as required. Today, the NPCDCS program is known as NP-NCD (National Program for Prevention and Control Of Non-Communicable Diseases.
Leveraging prior successful partnerships with the state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Dell, and Tata Trusts collaborated with MoHFW to support PBS. Tata Trusts signed an MoU with MoHFW for June 2018 - 2023, with the key objective of developing and deploying a National NCD IT platform. Dell became the technological partner for application development. In October 2023, Tata Trusts and Dell extended their support for the NP-NCD program through another MoU with MoHFW for two years (Oct 2023 - Sep 2025). Under this MoU, the Health Systems Transformation Platform (HSTP), registered as the Forum for Health Systems Design and Transformation, supports the execution of further agreed activities for the NP-NCD
Through a three-tiered support system, the Pan India NCD team- Technical Support Unit (TSU) is supporting the respective government stakeholders- at National (NCD Division, GoI), state (state NCD Cells/Units) and district (District NCD Cells/Units) levels. The team provides capacity building and techno-managerial support to enable digitization of records related to NP-NCD-enrolment, screening, diagnosis, treatment & follow-up through the National NCD Portal for early detection and management of NCDs among the target population (Population above 30 years of age), ensuring “Continuum of Care” with technology as enabler; additionally, TSU facilitate in structuring health policy and governance for improvement of healthcare related to NCDs.
The National Health Policy 2017 promotes the use of digital tools and technology to enhance the performance of India’s health system. Committed to achieving universal, affordable, and equitable healthcare, the policy aims to minimize out-of-pocket expenses. The National NCD Portal is central to digitally transforming primary healthcare by creating longitudinal health records, enabling providers to prioritize care for vulnerable populations and tailor services based on local needs.
Technical Support Units play a key role in adopting this portal by building the capacity of health personnel through a cascade model while offering operational and technical support. The portal ensures patient safety by providing access to medical records and reduces healthcare costs by focusing on the most appropriate therapies and interventions. It facilitates evidence-based planning, resource optimization, and efficient delivery of care. Additionally, the portal aids program managers in supervision, health promotion, prevention, and screening for non-communicable diseases.
