Only 10% deaths in India have recorded cause: WHO report

The cause of death is recorded in barely 10 per cent of all deaths in the country, revealed World Health Organisation’s (WHO) latest global health report.

Of the estimated 5.6 crore deaths globally, the cause of death is registered in about 2.7 crore.

However, of the 92 lakh deaths in Indian every year, only 10 per cent have a recorded cause, positioning India way below the global average rate, said the World Health Statistics report 2017. Most European countries, USA and Canada have 100 per cent compliance.

India falls in line with countries like Honduras, Morocco, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia who do not routinely collect high-quality health data.

Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations demand that 80 per cent of all deaths should be recorded with details of the exact causes.

“If countries don’t know what makes people get sick and die, it’s a lot harder to know what to do about it,” said Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation.

The report noted that air pollution kills maximum Indians: upto 133 persons per lakh die due to causes related to air pollution. Deaths due to unsafe water rank next with 27 per lakh dying due to diarrhoea and lack of access to safe water.

In Iran, 90 per cent of deaths are now recorded with details of the causes, compared with 5 per cent in 1999.

Incomplete or incorrect information on deaths make effective health monitoring and policy making far more difficult, WHO said.

“WHO is working with countries to strengthen health information systems and to enable them to better track progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,” Kieny said.

What is killing Indians? 

Air pollution - 133 per lakh
Maternal Mortality - 174 per lakh live births
Unsafe water and diarrhoea - 27.4 per lakh
Non communicable diseases - 23.3 per lakh
Road traffic injuries - 16.6 per lakh
Suicide mortality rate - 15.7 per lakh
Homicide - 4 per lakh
Unintentional​ poisoning - 1.9 per lakh