Bengaluru Gears Up To Be India's First Arogya City By Reducing Growth Of Non-Communicable Diseases

Bengaluru is gearing up to reduce the growth of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and become India's first Arogya City. The development comes after three organisations inked pacts: Rotary (District 3190), Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC), and Arogya World.

The organisations are determined to contribute to 'Indian at 75' and improve the city's overall health. They also aim to secure around 20 pledges, aptly called the Champions20 (C20) group. It will help at least 5 lakh people across the city to improve their health and wellness.

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The partnership of three organisations will also mobilise stakeholders to start the Arogya City movement in Bengaluru with a summit on November 28 at an auditorium. The event invites entrepreneurs, government officials, academia, and people from civil city organisations to pledge their support towards making Bengaluru India's first Arogya City.

Under the initiative, an advisory committee has also been formed, chaired by IAS K Jairaj (Retired). It will guide every stakeholder of the campaign and follow their progress. According to Arogya World, all pledges taken by the stakeholders will be made public at the Arogya Summit to ensure that the objectives of the pledges are met within a deadline.

Why Is Such Initiative Needed?

The Founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Arogya World, Dr Nalini Saligram, said, "NCDs like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases, and mental health, are among the top health and development challenges of the century, especially in metros like Bengaluru."

She added, "As part of our endeavour to transform Bengaluru into India's first Arogya City, we engage with diverse stakeholders to make bold pledges, implement well-designed programs, and measurably improve the health of the citizens of Bengaluru. We do not expect to see sweeping improvements right away in city-wide health metrics, but are confident our collective impact over time will be significant," reported TheWeek.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as many as one-fifth of the global deaths due to cardiovascular disease are reported in India (17.9 million). NCDs are a growing concern, especially in metro cities, and steps must be taken at the earliest to bring them under control. For the same, three organisations have come together to drive change and transform the health condition of Bengaluru.

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