Page 97 - English Grammar - IX-X

III. Read the following passage carefully.

INDIA
INDIA’S HEALTH REPORT CARD’S HEALTH REPORT CARD
(1) India’s most recent and comprehensive health report card contains both good news and
cause for concern. The good news is that female life expectancy has increased from
59.7 years in 1990 to 70.3 years in 2016, while male life expectancy has increased from
58.3 years to 66.9 years. Although communicable diseases affect a smaller number
of people, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases is increasing. Furthermore,
there are significant disparities between states.
(2) For all of India’s states, experts have identified 333 illness conditions and 84 risk factors.
This is the first time a state-level study of illness burden has been conducted. Until
now, only national-level data was accessible, which obscured state-specific disease
patterns. This has significant policy consequences since it implies that a single health
policy and uniform health schemes may not be feasible in all jurisdictions.
(3) In India, the proportion of deaths (as shown in graphical representation) caused by
communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases decreased from 53.6 per
cent in 1990 to 27.5 per cent in 2016, while deaths caused by non-communicable
diseases increased from 37.9 per cent to 61.8 per cent, and deaths caused by injuries
increased from 8.5 per cent to 10.7 per cent.
(4) “We have recommended monitoring of health status in each state, and the NITI Aayog
Action Agenda 2017–2020 envisions data-driven and decentralised health planning to
more effectively improve population health,” said Dr Vinod Paul, a member of NITI
Aayog. He suggested that generation of such comprehensive estimates for each district.
While air pollution and tobacco use continue to be major causes of health problems,
the amount to which these risk factors are present differs greatly between states.

Communicable, maternal, neonatal Non-communicable diseases Injuries
and nutritional diseases

8.5% 10.7%

27.5%

53.6% 37.9%
61.8%

1990 2016
Figure: Contribution of major disease groups to total deaths in India, 1990 and 2016
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