Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have become a major public health problem in India accounting for 62% of the total burden of foregone DALYs and 53% of total deaths. Out-of-pocket expenditure associated with the acute and long-term effects of NCDs is high resulting in catastrophic health expenditure for the households. A large national survey in India found that spending on NCDs accounted for 5.17% of household expenditure. According to a macroeconomic analysis, it is estimated that each 10% increase in NCDs is associated with a 0.5% lower rate of annual economic growth. The income loss due to hypertension is the highest, followed by diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The macroeconomic impact of NCDs is profound as they cause loss of productivity and decrease in gross domestic product. Since the health sector alone cannot deal with the "chronic emergency" of NCDs, a multisectoral action addressing the social determinants and strengthening of health systems for universal coverage to population and individual services is required.
Keywords: Macroeconomic impact; noncommunicable diseases; out-of-pocket expenditure.