India's population in 2021 as per World Bank is 1.39 billion. Being the world's second-most-populous country and one of its fastest-growing economies, India experiences both challenges and opportunities in context of public health. India is a hub for pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; world-class scientists, clinical trials and hospitals yet country faces daunting public health challenges like child undernutrition, high rates of neonatal and maternal mortality, growth in noncommunicable diseases, high rates of road traffic accidents and other health related issues.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that India is fulfilling 80.5% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income. When looking at the right to health with respect to children, India achieves 92.1% of what is expected based on its current income. In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 85.6% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. India falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 63.7% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.
Major health indicators
The life expectancy at birth has increased from 49.7 years in 1970–1975 to 67.9 years in 2010–2014. For the same period, the life expectancy for females is 69.6 year and 66.4 years for males. In 2018, the life expectancy at birth is said to be 69.1 years.
The infant mortality rate has declined from 74 per 1,000 live births in 1994 to 37 per 1,000 live births in 2015. However, the differentials of rural (41) and urban (25) as of 2015 are still high. In 2016, the infant mortality rate was estimated to be 34.6 per 1,000 live births.
The under-five mortality rate for the country was 113 per 1,000 live births in 1994 whereas in 2018 it reduced to 41.1 per 1,000 live births.
The maternal mortality ratio has declined from 212 per 100 000 live births in 2007–2009 to 167 per 100 000 live births in 2011–2013. However, the differentials for state Kerala (61) and Assam (300) as of 2011–2013 are still high. In 2013, the maternal mortality ratio was estimated to be 190 per 100 000 live births.
The total fertility rate for the country was 2.3 in rural areas whereas it has been 1.8 in urban areas during 2015.
The most common cause of disability adjusted life years lost for Indian citizens as of 2016 for all ages and sexes was ischemic heart disease (accounting for 8.66% of total DALYs ), 2nd chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (accounting for 4.81% of total DALYs), 3rd diarrhea (accounting for 4.64% of total DALYs) and 4th lower respiratory infections (accounting for 4.35% of total DALYs).
As per the figures about the child mortality rate which is quite a big hurdle for the government, the 2nd most common cause of DALYs lost for children under 5 years of age was diseases like diarrhea, lower respiratory tract infections and other communicable diseases (accounting for 22,598.71 DALYs per 100 000 population) as of 2016 which can be preventable.
Health issues
Oral Health in India
Oral health refers to optimum functioning of mouth (smile, swallow, chew, taste, etc), proper dentition and ability to perform various movements of facial muscles, jaws and other orofacial structures without pain and discomfort.
Status of oral health both affects and gets affected by specific systemic health conditions. Many systemic diseases, such as; diabetes, can be suspected by examining oral signs and symptoms. Poor oral health is also a risk factor of cardio-vascular diseases, stroke, digestive issues, pre-term birth, low birth weight, preeclampsia etc
According to Global Oral Health Status Report: Towards Universal Health Coverage for Oral Health by 2030 (WHO report), Globally, oral diseases affect 3.5 billion people and every three out of four people lives in middle-income countries. In India, there has been a steady increase in the burden of oral diseases since last two decades. High prevalence of dental caries is notable among children and adults, due to high sugar consumption. It subsequently leads to high prevalence of periodontal diseases and edentulism.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the most usual form of oral cancer in India and primarily affects middle age population (31-50 years). Epidemiologically, Kerala has the lowest and West Bengal has the highest incidence of oral cancer. For India, self-examination is the most effective method for early diagnosis of oral cancer.