India's ageing population faces a dual burden of disease. Communicable diseases remain a significant challenge while non-communicable diseases continue to rise, requiring health systems to address both simultaneously rather than shifting attention from one to the other.

India Must Address Two Disease Burdens at the Same Time

The authors analysed nationally representative data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI 2017–18) and found that older adults continue to experience both communicable and non-communicable diseases. While the prevalence of non-communicable diseases increases with demographic and epidemiological transition, communicable diseases remain concentrated among socio-economically disadvantaged groups. This coexistence led the authors to conclude that India's health system must respond to two overlapping disease burdens rather than treating them as separate phases of development.

Health systems designed around a single disease burden risk overlooking important population needs. Recognising the coexistence of communicable and non-communicable diseases enables governments to design integrated prevention, surveillance and healthcare strategies that better reflect the realities of an ageing population.