Besides vehicular and industrial pollution, inadequate ventilation is increasingly taking a toll on public health with the number of deaths due to acute respiratory infections (ARI) and asthma rising from 2,492 in 2011 to a staggering 4,155 in 2012 across the States.
latest Government data shows that more people including children are suffering from the diseases given that the cases too have spurted significantly from 2.63 crore to 3.1 crore during the period in the country. (See Box)
The data available from the Union Health Ministry says that majority of States with West Bengal topping the list have witnessed sharp jump in the number of cases. Though the figures does not give separate account on the number of kids inflicted with the disease, health officials admit that ARI are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among them in India as is in the worldwide.
While there has been no let up in the ARI cases in major States, even North-Eastern States such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram have reported higher deaths in 2012 when compared to the previous year.
Among Union Territories, Delhi and Pondicherry have reported whopping jump in the mortality. In Delhi, it was 232 in 2012 against 102 in 2011 while deaths in Puducherry due to ARI and asthma sharply rose from a meager 2 to 87 during the same period.
Globally, ARI account for nearly 3.9 million deaths every year. The official said, “Infections of the upper respiratory tract are very common in childhood primarily because of poor immunisation and indoor pollution, a primary culprit for the disease.”
As per various Government reports, wood or coal-burning stoves are still used by millions of Indians. Tobacco also contributes significantly to ARI mortality, as does overcrowding, a situation certain to worsen as the urban slum population doubles over the next decade, the official noted.