Lifestyle, respiratory diseases increasingly killing Mumbaikars: Praja report | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: The escalating health challenges faced by city residents over the past decade are the subject of a report released by Praja Foundation on Thursday. The NGO has listed the city’s top five diseases with the highest reported cases between 2014 and 2023: diarrhoea (9,36,061 cases), tuberculosis (3,89,803), hypertension (3,70,795), diabetes (3,70,081) and dengue (1,39,892) and emphasised that these conditions underscore a critical need for improved public health measures and infrastructure in the city.

One of the most concerning trends is the rise in deaths due to lifestyle diseases, particularly diabetes. Praja Foundation CEO Milind Mhaske noted a staggering increase of 485% in diabetes-related deaths, from 2,428 in 2014 to 14,207 in 2022. This statistic positions diabetes as the leading cause of death in Mumbai, surpassing traditional infectious diseases.

In addition to lifestyle diseases, respiratory issues have surged as a primary health concern. Mumbai’s air quality has progressively deteriorated, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping from ‘Satisfactory’ (51-100) in 2019 to ‘Moderate’ (101-200) by 2022. According to Eknath Pawar, associate manager for Capacity Building at Praja, major respiratory diseases and respiratory tuberculosis contributed to more than 47,000 deaths from 2019 to 2022. In 2023, not a single month recorded air quality in the ‘Good’ category.

“This trend emphasises the importance of adhering to the Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) guidelines set by the ministry of housing and urban affairs,” said Mhaske. He highlighted that Mumbai’s current Development Plan (2014-2034) falls short, offering only 3 sq mt of open space per person, significantly below the recommended 10 sq mt that is conducive to physical activity and public well-being.

The report highlighted that in 2023, no civic ward in Mumbai met the URDPF criterion of one dispensary per 15,000 population. While Mumbai has 191 municipal dispensaries, only 95% operate for seven hours daily. To alleviate the pressure, 207 Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray (HBT) clinics were introduced in 2022. However, only a few operate for extended hours, with just 6% open for 14 hours a day.