Sign in Subscribe
COVID-19

Death Rates from Chronic Diseases Increase in India, Global Study Shows

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new study published in The Lancet has revealed that death rates from chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke increased in India in the decade leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic, even as they fell in four out of five countries covered by the study. The increase was more pronounced in Indian females, with a 0.3 percentage point increase in the probability of dying from non-communicable diseases (NCD) between birth and age 80 years, compared to a 0.1 percentage point increase for Indian males. The study attributed the increase in mortality to particularly large contributions to an increase in overall NCD mortality from ischaemic heart disease and diabetes for both sexes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that death rates from chronic diseases increased in India between 2010 and 2019, with a 0.3 percentage point increase in the probability of dying from NCDs for Indian females and a 0.1 percentage point increase for Indian males.
  • The increase in mortality was driven by an increase in mortality above age 40 years for females and above age 55 years for males, particularly due to ischaemic heart disease and diabetes.
  • The researchers noted that the results are subject to substantial uncertainty due to limited mortality data, which were evaluated as very low in quality.
  • The study also highlighted that India is seeing an increase in cases of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) due to lifestyle changes such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle.
  • The Indian Council of Medical Research's NCDs data shows that the proportion of deaths due to NCDs in India increased from 37.9% in 1990 to 61.8% in 2016.
  • The study suggests that a slowdown in the decline of mortality by 2019 is evident worldwide, with nearly 80% of countries showing a slowing in the decline of mortality.

Statistics:

  • 0.3 percentage point increase in the probability of dying from NCDs for Indian females between birth and age 80 years
  • 0.1 percentage point increase in the probability of dying from NCDs for Indian males between birth and age 80 years
  • 37.9% of deaths due to NCDs in India in 1990
  • 61.8% of deaths due to NCDs in India in 2016
  • Nearly 80% of countries showed a slowing in the decline of mortality by 2019

Sources:

  • The Lancet - "Benchmarking progress in non-communicable diseases: a global analysis of cause-specific mortality from 2001 to 2019"
  • Indian Council of Medical Research's NCDs data
  • Hindustan Times

Read more