Burden of non-communicable diseases on two different division of uttarakhand: Adult health indicator

Background: About 61% of deaths in India are attributed to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).The distribution of NCDs amongst different regions of the state represents adult health status and has its social, political and economic implications.In the present study, we evaluate health status with an objective to compare distribution of NCDs between the two regions of Uttarakhand: Garhwal and Kumaun. Material and Methods: The study was carried out from the secondary data source i.e. NFHS-4 data of Uttarakhand which is divided into two regions, Garhwal and Kumaun. Z-test is used for comparison between two regions and within inter districts of Uttarakhand. Results: The study indicates that between the two divisions Kumaun has better health status where the proportion of population suffering from NCDs was comparatively lower than Garhwal. Champawat from the Kumaun division has much less proportion of NCD in comparison to the other districts in the division, while Bageshwar recorded the maximum. Pauri-Garhwal in Garhwal region accounted for minor proportion of population suffering from NCD, while Dehradun and Haridwar had major proportions. Conclusion: Though overall health status of Uttarakhand is far better than other states in India but between the two divisions, Garhwal requires more attention in terms of healthcare facilities and awareness programmes. In fact, certain districts in Kumaun also require intervention from the Government to improve health quality. Both hilly and urban districts have different issues, which needs to be targeted to improve the health quality of the state.