Delhi saw 27 deaths per day from respiratory diseases in 2017

As many as 27 deaths per day were caused due to respiratory diseases in Delhi in the year 2017, according to a report by Mumbai-based NGO Praja.

The report on the "State of Health in Delhi", released on November 7, says that data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) shows that Delhi had only five good AQI days in the last four years (2015-18).

The average air quality index (AQI) levels in Delhi have been poor in the last four years - 231 in 2015, 255 in 2016, and 227 in 2017 and 2018.

The report said that the number of deaths by respiratory diseases which are caused and aggravated by air pollution, reflects a serious threat that Delhi's residents face on a daily basis.

It estimates that 9,872 people in Delhi died of major respiratory diseases in 2017, while the number of deaths was 11,900 in 2016 and 9,799 in 2015.

Apart from air pollution, the Praja report has also found that the poor quality of water supply is causing high number of water-borne diseases.

The poor quality of water can be judged by the fact that as many as 5.14 lakh cases of diarrhoea were reported in government dispensaries in 2018-19 which resulted in 122 deaths. The typhoid cases reported were 51,266 and the death count at 9.

The report also found that that the top five sensitive diseases reported in MCD and state government dispensaries and hospitals in 2018-19 were diarrhoea with 5.14 lakh cases followed by diabetes at 3,27 lakh, hypertension at 3.11 lakh cases, tuberculosis at 68,722 cases and typhoid at 51,266 cases.

The report concluded that Delhiites spent Rs 1.16 lakh per household on health in 2018-19. The respondents spent 9.8 per cent of their household income on health.

According to per capital income as per GDP, Delhiites spend a total of Rs 39,046 crore on healthcare in one year, 2018-19.IANS