In India, the number of new cases of cancer and other critical illnesses is steadily increasing. In 2018, the Indian Council of Medical Research's National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR) released the India-specific data from Globocan (Global Cancer Observatory).
It was reported that the number of cancer cases in the country has gone up by 15.7 percent since 2012, with a total of 11.57 lakh cancer cases reported in the year.
Globocan reported that there had been a 12.2 percent increase in the total number of cancer-related deaths since 2012, with approximately 7,84,821 people dying from the health condition in 2018.
Moreover, data presented by the Registrar General of India*, WHO (World Health Organisation), and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) shows that cardiovascular diseases (also known as CVD or heart-related health problems) are one of the leading causes of death and disability in the country.
Between 2007 and 2017, while the increase in deaths (across all ages) due to CVD had been 49.8 percent, the increase in mortality rate due to Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD), stroke and diabetes have been 39.4 percent, 37.1 percent, and 53.8 percent respectively.
According to the Indian Heart Association^, almost 50% of all heart attacks in Indian men occur below 50 years of age, while men under 40 report 25% of all cases of heart attacks. Also, the male population in the country, between 30 to 74, is at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases than the female population. While Indian women had a 12.7 percent risk of developing cardiovascular issues, approximately 21.4 percent of the males were at risk.
Overall, the working population in India, between the ages of 30 to 74, is more prone to developing cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Other ailments, such as kidney failure, sclerosis, stroke, or paralysis, present a palpable risk to Indians, thus pressing the need for critical illness cover.