Srinagar, July 8 -- A silent health crisis is unfolding across bedrooms, classrooms, and office cubicles in Kashmir. It creeps in through fatigue, mood swings, headaches, acne, and sleepless nights, often dismissed until it becomes too big to ignore.

And by the time most people realize what's wrong, they're already on medication.

We're talking about non-communicable diseases (NCDs): heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cancers, hormonal disorders, and mental illnesses.

Across India, these conditions now account for 60% of all deaths. Globally, the toll is even higher - 74%, according to the World Health Organization.

But statistics don't capture the tragedy unfolding on the ground.

In Kashmir, a region already grappling wi...