Health issues in India
Diabetes cases in India are rising. Some studies suggest that it is India’s fastest growing disease. India housed an estimated 72 million cases of diabetes in 2017. This figure is expected to increase considerably to 134 million by 2025. A victim of its own success? The reasons for this rapid increase in diabetes cases are […]
As Delhiites choke on smog, are efforts across the border efforts to make Pakistan “clean and green” bearing fruit? The newly elected Government of Pakistan under Prime Minister Imran Khan had made tackling environmental challenges an election agenda. Since coming to office, Khan has launched his vision for a “Clean, Green Pakistan” – with the […]
Tens of millions of Indians face nutritional deficiencies in the coming decades because of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, a recent study suggests. Rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are killing crop quality in India. This means commonly consumed foodstuffs in the country, such as rice and wheat, will lose much of their nutritional value. This […]
Most Indian cities have become unliveable thanks to catastrophically high levels of air pollution across the country. While the toll this takes on public health is broadly understood, research has hitherto been lacking on the link between air pollution and shorter lifespans. A new study by researchers at the University of Texas has given a […]
Lung cancer is often thought of as a smoker’s disease – and for good reason. Tobacco use drastically increases one’s risk of developing the disease. Yet in India more and more lung cancer cases are being seen among people who have never smoked. A study conducted by doctors at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) […]
The air in Delhi was close to clean yesterday. This marked the first time this had happened in nearly a year. The news is a welcome respite for the 18.6 million residents of the national capital. But how long will it last? The Air Quality Index (AQI) assesses air quality by assigning values between 0 […]
India holds between fifteen and twenty million asthma sufferers. Recent evidence suggests one in ten asthma patients reside in India. This can be seen as indicative of a wider crisis surrounding environmental health in India. Asthma is the most common chronic condition among children worldwide. The cost of managing the condition is thought to exceed tuberculosis […]
The changing face of the Taj Mahal One of the most visible effects of India’s rapidly escalating pollution crisis is the changing face of one of its most iconic landmarks. The Taj Mahal, a marble mausoleum which stands 240 feet tall on the banks of Yamuna river in Agra, is famous for its ivory white […]
India’s environmental performance is one of the worst in the world. On environmental health, it’s the worst. A global index places India 177th place in a list of 180 countries ranked on their environmental performance. Only the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bangladesh and Burundi place lower. The Economic Performance Index (EPI) measures rankings against […]
Pollution kills millions worldwide every year. In 2015, India witnessed 1.1 million pollution-related deaths. The vast majority of these deaths were borne by the country’s rural population, a new study suggests. “A pan-Indian problem” 75 percent of the 1.1 million pollution-related deaths which took place in India in 2015 took place in rural areas. Exposure […]
