Former World Health Organisation chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan on Tuesday called for reforms to India’s public distribution system (PDS) to close nutrition gaps and shift the country’s health approach from treating illness to preventing it.
Speaking at the third edition of the Dr S S Badrinath Endowment Oration at Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai, held under the theme “Well-being as a way of life,” she said the PDS helped prevent starvation but now largely prioritises calories over balanced nutrition.
She noted that protein-rich foods such as pulses, fruits, vegetables, eggs and milk remain relatively expensive, placing a heavier burden on poorer households. As a result, she said, many people consume enough calories but lack adequate protein and micronutrients.
Dr Swaminathan warned that poor nutrition is contributing to a rapid rise in non-communicable diseases including diabetes, obesity and hypertension. She said diabetes prevalence in India rose from 11% in 2011 to 22% in 2025, with many people now classified as pre-diabetic.
She also flagged climate change, biodiversity loss and air pollution as growing public health emergencies, and pointed to high out-of-pocket healthcare spending and low public health expenditure. Citing Thailand’s 30 baht universal healthcare scheme, she said prioritising primary care through political will can reduce costs and improve outcomes.
