West Bengal Health Statistics

In India, from last three years, the number of people suffering from various Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and those died therefrom is increasing constantly.

In 2015, estimated incidence cancer cases for both cases was 86628 in West Bengal

Population: 9,13,47,736 (Census 2011)

Life expectancy at birth: 63.4 years (Census 2011)

Literacy rate: 77.08% (Census 2011)

In West Bengal Out of 1,61,564 cases of non-communicable disease 10,245 deaths registered in 2008, which included diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, stroke, cancers, chronic respiratory disorders, etc.

According to Cancer Foundation of India, maximum number of lung cancers reported from west Bengal as more than 75% of the population use some form of tobacco.

As Calcutta doctors report, Every month at least two cases of lung cancer founds in age group of 16-18 years.

In West Bengal more than 57% of the student smoke. According to Cancer Foundation of India study an average age of smoking is 13 years.

Arnab Gupta, one of Calcutta's leading oncologists, says that about 10% of lung cancer patients treated in his hospital are 18-24 years old. 90% of these cases are detected at an advanced stage when radiation and chemotherapy are the only options of treatment.

A recent report revealed by the WB Government on the current trends of public health, 62.4% of NCD deaths were caused by heart diseases and strokes.

A cross-sectional survey of a random sample of the population aged ? 40 years old of Siliguri by North Bengal Medical College revealed that 11.6% had ischemic heart disease (IHD) and 47.2% had hypertension. About 5% of the patients had asymptomatic IHD. IHD among the study population is significantly associated with hypertension and smoking. 25% of the persons with ischemic heart disease were smokers.

In West Bengal there is a serious shortage of healthcare resources by the report of The National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health. Also number of human resources i.e. doctors and paramedical staff was 1.83 per 1000 population which is well below the norm of 2.25 per 1000.

Only 11% medical colleges are in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal and the north-eastern states while 61% of the medical colleges are in the 6 states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry

Department of Community Medicine of Midnapore Medical College in Paschim Midnapore found that in West Bengal out of 70.20% of the population, 18-25 years aged are mainly addicted for alcohol.

A substantial proportion (22.99%) of individuals exhibited stage 1 (14.72%) and stage 2 (8.27%) hypertension and 39.69% were in pre-hypertensive category. Only 2.66% were on medication. Hypertension is a significant problem in the tribes of Midnapore.

In West Bengal 6.1% males and 7.1% females were obese by the National Family Health Survey (2007). About 30% of the women and 18% of the men in Kolkata are obese.

11.7% people in Kolkata were diabetic, revealed by the National Urban Diabetes survey.

According to IIT Kharagpur study, prevalence of diabetes in rural Bengal is in between 3.5% - 5.7%. In West Bengal high prevalence of diabetes in mainly three districts as Howrah (13.2%), Kolkata (12%) and Burdwan (8.7%).Prevalence is comparatively low in Purulia (2.7%), Bankura (3.0%), Dinajpur East (3.6%) and West (3.5%).

References:

• Non-Communicable Diseasewise report on IPD cases and deaths in West Bengal - Govt. of West Bengal, Department of Health & Family Welfare
• "Prevalence of ischemic heart disease among urban population of Siliguri" - West Bengal Department of Community Medicine, North Bengal Medical College, Sushrutanagar, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
• "Prevalence of ischemic heart disease among urban population of Siliguri, West Bengal" - Department of Cardiology, North Bengal Medical College, Sushrutanagar, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
• Emerging Trends in Healthcare - ASSOCHAM
• "An epidemiological study of hypertension in an adult tribal population in West midnapore district of West Bengal" - Department of Community Medicine, Midnapore Medical College, Pachim Medinipur
• Report of the Working Group on Disease Burden for 12th Five Year Plan (Non-Communicable Diseases) - Govt. of India, Planning Commission
• Tobacco use among high school students of West Bengal - Department of Community Medicine, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences & Department of Community Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health
• Cancer Foundation of India
• Some Salient Points in Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence in Rural Bengal - School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
• Health and Living Conditions in Eight Indian Cities - National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3)