A country which has a huge number of people in the below poverty zone is not a country which can be called a powerhouse though it is the second most populous country in the world. India accounts for nearly 17% of the world’s population and when you know there are as nearly as 200 countries in the world the percentage does seem a good one.

 

 India has over a billion people and stands only next to China yet it is far behind in terms of many major aspects than countries which do not even have half its population strength. A basic reason that can be stated is the percentage of Indian population that resides in the rural areas. The percentage is a staggering one at nearly 70% based on CENSUS 2011 data.

 

Indian health standard is a serious question that can be raised in popular pulpits. The country sees a vast number of deaths everyday owing to factors like diseases, malnutrition, poverty and addiction to life-threatening products, namely alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Although life expectancy at birth is on the normal side, the numbers being 66.08 years for males and 68.33 years for females as per 2011 estimation yet we can commonly see how many premature and early deaths are reported in the news and newspapers. There are several such deaths that also go unnoticed. 

 

A startling statistic that is of major concern is the probability of death under 5 years of age. According to WHO’s calculation, 66 children per 1000 live births die below the age of 5. It is a number that is bound to make someone sit up and take notice since the number means a lot. It means 6600 children below 5 die out of 100000 live births and 660000 children below 5 die out of 10000000 live births and India is a country of over a billion. This can mean about 66000000 children below 5 die out of a billion live births and this certainly is a matter of great concern. Not only does it highlights the condition of Indian health but also shows the lack of family planning in a country where the poorer section dominates the ratio of population.

 

While this was just a take on the mortality rate of children below 5 there are other areas of health that also draw concern. 250 males and 169 females per 1000 population die between 15 and 60. Many may ask why the number of males is more than that of females. The basic answer to this question is the addiction to tobacco and illicit liquor .While tobacco severely affects the lungs and is a primary contributor to the lung cancer (taking nearly 30% of the population) illicit liquor (accounting for more than a fifth of hospital admissions) damages the body in more ways than one, one of the chief being kidney damage. While the government has taken steps to curb the practices people of India seem to turn a blind eye to it with people ignoring statutory warnings of cancer labeled on cigarette packets.

 

Communicable diseases account for nearly 38% of the disease burden. The percentage varies from state to state. Emergence of new diseases likes the H1N1 virus or other avian and swine influenzas or re-emergence of old diseases like malaria has greatly increased the communicable disease ratio. India is among the foremost in the department of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) with nearly 1, 70,000 people of the population dying of HIV/AIDS as per statistics gathered in 2011. But the number does indicate a drop in the percentage indicating the awareness among people.

 

Natural calamities often lead to outbreak of different endemics which result in deaths of many. Tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases also lead to the death of many in India. Cancer is a ruling disease among many followed closely by chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. While there are many causes of cancer and one cannot blatantly blame a single cause for it, respiratory problems result mainly out of smoking and air pollution, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes result out of physical inactivity and obesity. 

 

Raised blood pressure  trends , cholesterol and unhealthy daily life also amount for deaths. The number of developed cities in India is very less and most of the villages, districts or even zilas do not have proper health facilities. They lack modern hospitals, qualified doctors and proper hygienic and sanitary measures. Malnutrition is also prevalent throughout India and is leading to the deaths  almost each day.

 

Being a country so severely affected by health problems India stands in the red list of the World Health Organization (WHO) though it is not as critical as some of the underdeveloped African and Asian countries. WHO is targeting to strategically fight these concerns through satisfactory targeted technical collaboration and advocacy with the central and state governments, and also in partnership with its bilateral and multilateral partners, civil societies, and the stake holders.

 

For reading General Awareness Topics , stay tuned to MBA Rendezvous