[Invited Lecture Series] Non-Communicable Disease Risks among Ethnic Communities of Assam

Date: 08 October 2025
Time: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM IST
Mode: Online via Google Meet

Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/cbc-kkmp-seh

Speaker

Prof. Chandana Sarmah
Department of Anthropology, Gauhati University, Assam, India

Abstract

The transition toward non-communicable diseases is now affecting developing and less-developed nations. The rising prevalence of NCDs poses a serious challenge to the global target of reducing premature deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease by one-third by 2030. Nearly three-quarters of all NCD deaths occur in low and middle-income countries (WHO, 2025), and in the WHO South-East Asian region, eight people die every minute from cardiovascular disease.

This lecture will identify the major NCD risk factors among selected ethnic communities of Assam. It will discuss how behavioural, environmental, and genetic factors interact, along with the lack of awareness about preventive health practices. Understanding these determinants is essential for designing effective interventions and reducing health inequalities.

About the Speaker

Prof. Chandana Sarmah is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Gauhati University, where she has served since 2001. Her research focuses on anthropological gerontology, with emphasis on ageing, menopausal and elderly health, and nutrition. She earned her Ph.D. from Gauhati University in 2008 for her thesis on the bio-social aspects of ageing in urban Assamese society.

Prof. Sarmah has led and collaborated on several research projects funded by the ICSSR and UGC. Her work covers areas such as population ageing, functional health, and the creation of age-friendly environments. She has published widely in national and international journals on topics related to health, ageing, and nutrition among tribal and urban communities of Assam. She has delivered invited lectures at various national and international forums.

She is an active member of professional bodies including the Indian Science Congress Association and the Indian Gerontological Association. She also serves as the General Secretary of the Guwahati Regional Chapter of the Indian National Confederation and Academy of Anthropologists (INCAA).

Programme Schedule

7:00 – 7:10 PM – Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Prof. Subho Roy, Member Secretary, INCAA

7:10 – 7:15 PM – Chairperson’s Remarks
Prof. A. R. Bandyopadhyay, Department of Anthropology, University of Calcutta

7:15 – 8:00 PM – Invited Lecture
Prof. Chandana Sarmah
Title: Non-Communicable Disease Risks among Ethnic Communities of Assam

8:00 – 8:20 PM – Q&A and Discussion
All Participants

8:20 – 8:25 PM – Chairperson’s Concluding Remarks
Prof. A. R. Bandyopadhyay

8:25 – 8:30 PM – Vote of Thanks and Way Forward
Dr. Kanhu Charan Sathapathy, INCAA