Science Summit at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78)

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a set of long-term health situations that are not transmitted from person to person. NCDs are a foremost international health concern, responsible for over 74% of fatalities worldwide. They are a growing cause of mortality and disability in underdeveloped countries. NCDs are often chronic conditions that require ongoing medical treatment and management, and they can have a remarkable effect on the living standard of individuals and their capacity to engage in socioeconomic activities.

NCDs include a wide range of conditions, such as “cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and stroke), cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and mental health disorders”. The increased mortality rate and economic burden due to NCDs provide a link that technology is pivotal in the advancement of disease diagnostics and therapeutics.

However, the advancement is not only limited to the high technological tools and the new state-of-the-art procedures. In limited environments, frugal innovations serve as an inexpensive strategy to healthcare systems, that ensures the SDG-3 “Well-being for all”.

Frugal innovation is not only restricted to low-resource settings but these ingenious recommendations can also be reconciled to offer disruptive substitutes to disease diagnosis and management around the globe.