Survey shows non-fatal diseases on the rise among Indians

People across India live longer but spend more time in ill-health, as rates of non-fatal diseases and injuries like major depressive disorder, iron-deficiency anaemia, and low back pain are on the rise according to a new study.

Published in The Lancet on June 8, the study was conducted by International researchers working on the Global Burden of Disease Project, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

“The health of Indians is increasingly threatened by depression, back pain, and migraines,” said Dr Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director, George Institute for Global Health, India. 

“It is critical to understand the impact of these diseases to effectively allocate resources,” he added.

In 2013, migraines, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and hearing loss were among the 10 leading causes of Years Lived with Disabilities (YLDs) in India. Other causes include neck pain, diabetes, and anxiety disorders. 

For women in India, disorders like shoulder injuries, fractures from osteoporosis and diabetes have replaced diarrheal diseases and vision problems as leading causes of YLDs.

Men and women around the world share the same leading causes of YLDs as India, with the exception of schizophrenia as a leading cause for men and other musculoskeletal disorders for women. 

The cases of low back pain and depression have increased more than 50 <g data-gr-id="22">per cent</g> since 1990 globally.