13 percent of deaths in JK occur due to chronic diseases: WHO
Srinagar: The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that 13 percent of deaths in the state of Jammu and Kashmir are caused by chronic diseases. The health body’s report that has covered a period of ten years starting 2005 to 2015 says that chronic diseases are projected to account for 53 percent of all deaths in India.
In its report titled ‘The Impact of Chronic Disease in India’, WHO stated that over next 10 years, in India, over 60 million people will die from chronic diseases, “deaths from infectious disease, maternal and prenatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies combined will decrease by 15 percent,” the report said.
The report added that deaths from chronic diseases will increase by 18 percent, most markedly deaths from diabetes will increase by 35 per cent. The report claims that with overall 35 percent increase in deaths due to diabetes, it will go up 7 per cent in case of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Notably, chronic diseases include arthritis, cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks and stroke, cancer, such as breast and colon cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and seizures, obesity, Diabetes insipidus, Diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2), Dysrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), Epilepsy, Glaucoma, Haemophilia, HIV, Hyperlipidaemia (high cholesterol), Hypertension (high blood pressure) and Hypothyroidism (inactive thyroid gland).
While referring that the main cause of chronic diseases is the raised body mass index, it said that prevalence of overweight in India is expected to increase in both men and women over the next 10 years.
While giving out figures, the report said there has been an increase in the prevalence of overweight in India. In men during 2005, the percentage of overweight individuals was recorded as 22 percent, whose increased number was recorded 31 percent during 2015.
Similarly in the case of women the percentage of overweight individuals was recorded 21 per cent during 2005, which went up to 29 per cent in 2015.
According to the report, the numbers are also expected to go up in J&K, “as it has also shown an upward trend since 2005 till 2015, with added increase of 6 per cent of individuals in women who are overweight and slight 2 per cent increase of individuals in men who are overweight,” the report said.
The report said that cardiovascular diseases amount to 26 per cent of deaths caused due to chronic diseases, with next in line being a number of diseases such as: Communicable, maternal and prenatal and nutritional deficiencies, amounting to 36 per cent of deaths.
While giving a separate set of details pertaining to J&K, the report says that deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases, among chronic diseases tops the list, with 39 per cent deaths caused by it.
Interestingly, Diabetes amounts to only 2 per cent of deaths caused due to chronic diseases, with chronic respiratory diseases amounting to 7 per cent of deaths.
The report while concluding states that WHO estimates that an additional 2 per cent annual reduction in the national-level chronic disease death rate in India over the next 10 years “would result in an economic gain of 15 billion dollar for the country.”
KV Correspondent
