At a time when dengue is making headlines across the country, latest data available from the Union Health Ministry indicates that other communicable ailments such as Malaria, Typhoid, Measles, Acute Respiratory infections, Whooping Cough, Chicken Pox, Malaria and Encephalitis are also showing an upward trend over the last two years.
The disturbing fact has come even as out of pocket medical expenditure incurred has risen to `146 per capita per month for urban and `95 for rural India, as per the ‘National Health Profile 2015’, published by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) under the Union Health Ministry.
The report, released by Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday, covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, along with comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human resources in health sector.
On communicable disease, the report notes that Malaria causing mosquitoes, which have been a problem in the country for centuries continue to spread its wings during 2013 and 2014 too. It killed 440 people in 2013 and 535 people in the following year while 88,1730 people and 107,0513 people were inflicted to the disease during the same period.
Overall, the country has shown an alarming rise in cases of dengue with 17,148 cases registered in just eight months in 2015 against 10,097 cases recorded during the corresponding period last year.
The report also shows that other ailments like Meningococcal Meningitis and Viral meningitis also registered increase in 2014 over 2013. (See Box)
With medical costs skyrocketing and long duration of treatments and hospitalisations the public has no option but to pay out of their pocket. The out of pocket medical expenditure incurred during 2011-12 was Rs 146 per capita per month for urban and Rs 95 for rural India.
The Government has not done much to ensure better infrastructure given that public expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP was merely 1.08 per cent in 2012-13. It is one of the lowest, higher only than Myanmar, among SEARO countries. In fact, there is no significance change in expenditure since 2009-10, says the report.