New Delhi: Over five years to 2017, water-borne diseases–cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid and viral hepatitis–caused 10,738 deaths, latest government data show.
Diarrhoea caused 6,514 deaths, the most of water-borne diseases in India, over five years to 2017.
Reported Cases And Deaths By Water-Borne Diseases in India Disease 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Cases Deaths Cases Deaths Cases Deaths Cases Deaths Cases Deaths Cholera 1130 5 844 5 913 4 718 3 385 3 Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases 11413610 1629 11748631 1137 12913606 1353 14166574 1555 9230572 840 Typhoid 1650145 387 1736687 425 1937413 452 2215805 511 1493050 286 Viral Hepatitis 110125 574 138554 400 140861 435 145970 451 98086 283 Uttar Pradesh recorded most diarrhoea deaths Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, recorded the most diarrhoeal deaths–22.21% of deaths nationwide–over five years to 2017, according to the data, followed by West Bengal (14.33%), Assam ( 12.03%), Odisha (10.63%) and Madhya Pradesh (7.24%).
Limited access to safe drinking water Water-borne diseases can be prevented with improved access to safe drinking water.
About 86% Indian households have access to “safe drinking water”, according to official data.
In a decade to 2015, India’s efforts to tackle diarrhoea–a disease easily preventable through sanitation, safe drinking water and hygiene–have reduced the deaths of children below the age of four by 52%, IndiaSpend reported on March 27, 2018.
In 2015, deaths due to diarrhoea of Indian children under five accounted for 10% (117,285) of all deaths in the age-group, higher than 7% (3,273 children) in Myanmar, 7% (5,442 children) in Kenya and 9% (39,484 children) in Pakistan–countries with lower per capita incomes–IndiaSpend reported on July 29, 2017.
Diarrhoea, which results in dehydration, is also a leading cause of malnutrition globally.
(Tripathi is a principal correspondent with IndiaSpend.)
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