About 30 per cent of cardiovascular patients who succumb to death in India fall in the age category of 35-64. About 57.2 million diabetic patients will be there by 2025. Still, the public health expenditure in the country is far lower than that of Bangladesh, Pakistan and China, says a joint study by Assocham and Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC).
"India is far behind Bangladesh, Pakistan and China in terms of its public health expenditure with just 20.7 per cent against 25 per cent of Bangaldesh, 34.9 per cent of Pakistan and 45 per cent of China," said the study titled 'Working towards Wellness: An Indian Perspective'.
It reveals that percentage of cardiovascular patients who succumbs to death in India currently estimated at 30 per cent within the age group of 35-64 as compared to 12 per cent in United States, 22 per cent China, 25 per cent Russia, 34 per cent Brazil and 40 per cent South Africa. Increasing health budget manifold must check the increased pressure of globalization, which can be one reason for the same, it says.
The Study also says that India 's per capita expenditure on health is estimated at $ 23 against $18 in Pakistan and $14 inn Bangladesh. Health expenditure percentage of Pakistan and Bangladesh GDP work out at 3.2per cent and 3.1per cent, says the study.
"The reason as to why the public expenditure on health in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh have risen much more than India is because of two specific reasons. One, the economies of Pakistan and Bangladesh are emerging for development and that is why their governments have been making higher health allocations for their people to partake in global competition.
"Secondly, on population front, Pakistan and Bangladesh are at competitive edge because of their size which is not the case with India as its state after 2000 onwards paid lesser attention towards health as its priorities were different to make India for global integration," says the Study.
The Study also highlights that in view of the least preference that India's health sector experiences scarcity of sources, it is quite likely that India would experience more deaths of people in the age group of 35-64 than USA between 2000 - 2030, China and Russia, the countries whose concern towards health has become so pronounced and visible.
It also reveals that cardiovascular disease in countries like United States, China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa, in recent times have taken a tool of lives which in case of US works out to be 12 per cent, China 22 per cent, Russia 25 per cent, Brazil and South Africa respectively 34 per cent and 40 per cent. "India will have to open up cardiac arresting centers to prevent heart disease as in future such a disease will occur and recur particularly in Asian and South-East Asian countries more, the study said.
India today bears the burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Along with the existence of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, hitherto neglected diseases like diabetes are likely to take endemic proportions. It is expected that the country would have a population of around 57.2 million diabetic patients by the year 2025 many of whom would be adults of working age. In India diabetic nephropathy is expected to develop in 6.6 million of the 30 million patients suffering from diabetes.