Documenting Non-communicable Diseases in India

November 11, 2013 | Pulitzer Center

Martina Merten

Starting the research on NCD's in India in Delhi. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Centre for Chronic Disease Control: Interview with Prof. Prabhakan, Executive Director. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Prof. Prabhakan, NCDC. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Interview at the Indian Council of Medical Research, NCD Department. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Dr. Shukla, scientist and head of the NCD Department. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

In front of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Medanta — Treating cardiac patients at one of India's leading private hospitals. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Interview with Dr. Naresh Trehan, India's leading heart surgeon, Chairman and Managing Director of Medanta. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Trehan: "India is facing a critical stage with respect to NCDs." Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Patients waiting for being treated: "There is no awareness of obesity and diabetes" (Trehan). Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

"Trehan was my last hope": interview with one of his patients. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

It is mostly patients from the middle and upper classes who can afford a treatment at Medanta. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

On the way to the Aga Khan Foundation; Humayun's Tomb, Sunder Nursery, Nizzamudin Basti Urban Reneval Initiative. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Interview with Dr. Simran on socio-economic initiatives of the foundation. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

The polyclinic of the Nizzamudin Bastin: Meeting point for women from the area to learn about health issues such as NCD's. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

"There is a huge prevalence of chronic diseases among women living in the Basti". Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

50 new health workers were trained by staff of the Aga Khan foundation in how to collect patients data. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Posting the results of the most common diseases in the Basti area. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Every second week health workers are educating women on maternal health and other health issues. Image by Martina Merten. India, 2013.

Photographs documenting interviews at the Indian Council of Medical Research, a government organization that specializes in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Researchers there and at other centers report on the difficulty collecting data and the lack of high-quality community-based studies.