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Epidemiological profile of India: Historical and contemporary perspectives

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Abstract

Knowledge and understanding of the epidemiological profile is an essential pre-requisite to assess and address public health needs in the country and to enable efficient programme planning and management. The need for adequate and accurate health information and data to undertake such an exercise cannot be over-emphasized. The present effort is a modest attempt to critically analyse the epidemiological profile of India from the historical and contemporary perspective. In order to assess the successes achieved as well caution against the daunting challenges awaiting the country, parameters such as disease burden and health status indicators, are increasingly being used. Changes in the population age structure, improvements in the nation’s economic status, altered life-styles of people and duality of disease burden testify to the demographic, development and health transition occurring in the country. Population stabilization, poverty alleviation, life-style modification, surveillance and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases constitute the major challenges demanding urgent attention in the future.

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Abbreviations

BOD:

Burden of disease

CD:

communicable diseases

DALY:

disability adjusted life years

CHD:

coronary heart disease

CSW:

commercial sex workers

EPI:

Expanded programme of immunization

NCD:

non-communicable diseases

MDT:

multi-drug therapy

RHD:

rheumatic heart disease

UIP:

universal immunization programme

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Epidemiology, Chetput, 600 031, Chennai, India

    M. D. Gupte, Vidya Ramachandran & R. K. Mutatkar

  2. Medical Anthropology, School of Health Sciences, University of Pune, 411 007, Pune, India

    R. K. Mutatkar

Authors
  1. M. D. Gupte
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  2. Vidya Ramachandran
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  3. R. K. Mutatkar
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Correspondence to M. D. Gupte.

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Gupte, M.D., Ramachandran, V. & Mutatkar, R.K. Epidemiological profile of India: Historical and contemporary perspectives. J Biosci 26, 437–464 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02704746

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