Health Education

Over time, with the advances made in the field of medicine, the life expectancy of men and women has increased. Unfortunately, healthy life expectancy has not increased as much. Healthy life expectancy is a health measure that calculates how many years a person might live in good health. The gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy points out to the fact that an individual might lose some years of their life to disease or injury.

There is a lack of awareness across the country about avoidable diseases, their causes, and available treatment plans. In a 2013 survey of cancer awareness in Punjab, based on the reported symptoms for early detection, only 28% of those suffering from questionable symptoms had a confirmed cancer diagnosis. Further, according to a 2011 study, about 86% of the population surveyed had heard of oral cancer, but only 62% could pinpoint the correct cause. Rural India is the most affected by non-communicable diseases due to a lack of awareness.