By Masaharu Morita, Founder and Program Director, NURA – AI Health Screening Centre
As India prepares for the Union Budget, there is a crucial opportunity to reorient healthcare towards prevention and early intervention. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continue to place a growing burden on individuals, families and public health systems, yet many conditions remain undetected until advanced stages. Strengthening structured screening programmes and enabling technology-led risk assessment can help identify disease earlier, improve outcomes and reduce avoidable hospitalisation. Targeted policy support for preventive health infrastructure, workforce training and data-driven screening models can optimise long-term healthcare spending while easing pressure on tertiary care facilities. Encouraging public-private collaboration and integrating preventive screening into primary care pathways will be key to building a more sustainable system. A forward-looking budget that prioritises early detection, personalised risk profiling and preventive care can help India move from a treatment-centric approach to a healthier, more resilient population. This shift will support affordability, equity, productivity, and long-term national well-being across diverse communities nationwide and sustainably.
