In early 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed something no one expected from one of the world's most advanced countries. Canada has lost its measles-free status after over a decade. It is not just a headline from afar. It is a warning to every country, including India, that even preventable diseases can come back if you drop your guard.
At the same time, India continues to battle an entirely different kind of epidemic: lifestyle and chronic diseases like heart attacks, kidney failure, and respiratory illnesses. They don't make daily news, but together, they quietly claim millions of lives each year.
So, what does this global shift mean for India's health future? From vaccine lapses to rising heart and kidney disease, here's a closer look at five major health threats India can't afford to ignore, and how prepared the country really is.
Why Measles In Canada Is A Global Wake-Up Call
When Canada was declared measles-free in 2016, it was hailed as a triumph of modern vaccination. But now, it has officially lost that status. The reason? Falling vaccination rates.
"This loss represents a setback, but it is also reversible," Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) director Jarbas Barbosa said at a press briefing, quoted by the Scientific American.
Health experts say growing vaccine hesitancy, pandemic disruptions, and misinformation created gaps that let the virus return. Measles, one of the most contagious diseases ever known, needs a 95% vaccination coverage to stay under control.
Canada is not alone. WHO has warned that measles cases have surged 79% globally between 2022 and 2024. The US and parts of Europe are also seeing outbreaks.
Active measles outbreaks are currently underway in Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, and the US. Health experts have warned that the US has been on shaky ground since 762 cases were reported alone in West Texas in late January 2025; that outbreak was declared over on August 18.
In 2025, the US had 1,681 measles cases, the majority of which were detected in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, according to the Scientific American.
What About India?
India, which once carried over half the world's measles deaths, has made remarkable progress. In 2010, more than 100,000 children died every year from measles. By 2023, that number had dropped by nearly 90%, thanks to the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign, one of the largest in the world.
Yet, gaps remain. According to India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), around 89% of Indian children have received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine -- impressive, but still short of the 95% target needed for elimination.
Health officials admit the pandemic caused setbacks. Routine immunisation drives were paused, schools closed, and outreach workers were diverted to COVID duties. Now, efforts are on to catch up through the 'Intensified Mission Indradhanush'.
Will Travellers From Canada Need Vaccine Certificates In India?
Though India does not require proof of measles vaccination for Canadian visitors, public health experts say it could change if Canada's outbreak worsens. The Health Ministry may soon review its travel guidelines -- especially for people visiting rural or immunisation-sensitive areas.
Health authorities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO recommend that all international travellers stay up-to-date on routine immunisations, including the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.
For now, travellers (both Indian and foreign) are simply being advised to ensure they are fully vaccinated with the MMR shot before travel.
Ischaemic Heart Disease: The No. 1 Killer In India?
While the world is distracted by new infections, heart disease continues to top the list of killers in India and globally.
Ischaemic heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, occurs when cholesterol plaques narrow the arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart. The result can be chest pain, breathlessness, or a full-blown heart attack.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), heart disease accounts for nearly 28% of all deaths in India. What is more worrying is that it is now affecting people in their 30s and 40s -- a full decade earlier than in Western countries.
Why Is This happening?
The urban Indian lifestyle is practically designed to strain the heart.
How to prevent it: Eat less processed food, manage stress, stay active for at least 30 minutes daily, and get your cholesterol checked every year.
Is Stroke The Silent Epidemic?
Every 40 seconds, someone suffers a stroke somewhere in the world. And every 4 minutes, one of them dies.
India is seeing a disturbing shift: stroke is now affecting people under 45 more often than ever before. Neurologists say long work hours, poor diet, smoking, and untreated hypertension are key drivers.
Unlike heart attacks, strokes often go unnoticed until it is too late. Symptoms like slurred speech, facial drooping, or sudden dizziness are ignored or mistaken for exhaustion.
According to the Indian Stroke Association, over 1.5 million new stroke cases occur in India every year. One in four survivors is left with long-term disability -- a major blow for working-age adults.
A stroke is a medical emergency. If treated within the first 3 hours, most patients can recover with minimal damage. But in India, delays in recognising symptoms and reaching hospitals often make the difference between recovery and paralysis.
Chronic Respiratory Diseases: When The Air Turns Against You
For millions of Indians, the air they breathe every morning is their biggest health threat. Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and asthma are rising fast across Indian cities.
According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, India accounts for nearly 32% of all global COPD deaths. While smoking remains a major culprit, urban pollution has made things much worse.
Tiny particulate matter (PM2.5) from vehicles, construction, and factories penetrates deep into the lungs, causing irreversible inflammation.
With Delhi being the world's most polluted city, an estimated 17,188 deaths were reported in 2023, accounting for 15% of all fatalities in the city. This figure is an increase from 15,786 deaths in 2018, indicating a rise in air pollution-related fatalities over time.
But it is not just the cities. Rural India faces its own crisis. Indoor air pollution from biomass fuels like wood, dung, and coal is used for cooking. Women and children, who spend more time near cooking fires, are particularly vulnerable.
Doctors report that even non-smokers are now developing COPD in their 30s and 40s -- something once seen only in heavy smokers over 60.
What Can Be Done?
Cleaner cooking fuels (like LPG and electric stoves), better air-quality policies, and public awareness are critical. The government's Ujjwala Yojana LPG subsidy helped millions, but experts say consistent refill affordability is key to long-term change.
Is Chronic Kidney Disease The Next Big Health Crisis?
While heart and lung diseases get attention, kidney disease is quietly emerging as the next major public health threat.
WHO now calls chronic kidney disease (CKD) a "hidden pandemic." The disease progresses silently, and symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, or nausea often appear only when 70-80% of kidney function is already lost.
In India, 1 in 11 adults may have early-stage kidney disease. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the biggest causes.
With India home to the world's second-largest diabetic population, the risk pool is enormous.
Unfortunately, awareness and screening remain low. Dialysis and transplants are expensive, and many rural patients reach hospitals only when their kidneys are beyond repair.
The economic toll is equally severe. Families often spend Rs 25,000-Rs 40,000 per month on dialysis. Experts say prevention through lifestyle management is far cheaper and more humane than treatment.
The Return Of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
The measles scare is not just about one disease -- it is a warning about vaccine fatigue.
The world's focus on COVID shots led to the temporary neglect of routine childhood immunisations. The result? Diseases like measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough are resurfacing.
India came close to eliminating measles and rubella before the pandemic hit. According to the health ministry, reported cases dropped by over 80% between 2010 and 2020. However, 2023 saw outbreaks in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Gujarat, mostly in districts where vaccination drives lagged.
The WHO's South-East Asia office has warned that India must sustain at least 95% vaccination coverage to retain its measles-elimination target by 2027. Falling below that could undo decades of progress.
Public health experts are urging renewed investment in community health workers, digital vaccine tracking, and misinformation control, especially as social media fuels anti-vaccine myths.
What Happens Next?
India stands at a crossroads. On one hand, preventable diseases like measles happen when basic vigilance slips. On the other hand, modern lifestyle killers such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure demand a more sophisticated approach.
The challenge is clear: India's health system cannot fight yesterday's diseases and tomorrow's epidemics separately. It must do both, and it must do them now.
Canada's measles lesson shows that health complacency is a luxury no country can afford.