UPDATED: February 1, 2021 13:48 IST New Dawn: The neonatal ward at the government hospital in Raisen, MP (Photo: Pankaj Tiwari) Data from the health ministry shows that nearly half the people who have died of Covid in India had previously existing health conditions, diabetes and hypertension being among the top few. The pandemic not only highlighted the country's dire need for more healthcare workers and better public health infrastructure but also showed how the prevalence rate of lifestyle diseases is a growing cause for concern. While several critical diseases such as polio, measles, TB, HIV and now Covid-19 have seen concentrated efforts to combat them, diabetes and heart disease aren't even listed in the top 10 major diseases of the country. Yet, India is the diabetes capital of the world (69.9 million cases by 2025), with the number of cases doubling in the past 30 years as for heart diseases. These 'lifestyle' diseases are of even more concern as they are spreading at a fast pace amongst the young in both urban and rural settings. Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are also estimated to have an economic cost for the country-$6.2 trillion by 2030-as they reduce the productivity of patients and add to the growing cost of healthcare. "Covid showed us how vulnerable poor health can make us. Urbanisation has led to a more sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. What we need is more awareness on long-term health and immunity. There is no quick-fix pill for good health," says Dr V.K. Bahl, head of cardiology at Max Healthcare.