The health topic I am choosing to make discussion about is malaria and other insect related diseases and infections. This idea comes to me from personal experience, as although my nationality is Indian, I identify as an American citizen and my immunity to the climate over there shows this. Throughout my entire life I have lived in America, however on a couple vacations, my family and I have flown to India. One of the most notable changes that immediately comes to mind to someone like myself who was born here is the fact that the climate is completely different from the climate here in the United States. The difference in the climate has a lot to do with the moisture in the air and this alone becomes the progenitor for a newer variation of diseases and illnesses that bodies like mine are not immune to. Ever since my first visit to India (which was at the age of six years old), one of the most regular themes that I have had is relative to getting sick at some point of the trip whether it be the stomach flu, stomach bug, stomach virus, malaria, climate change, etc. For these alone there are several variables that can be held responsible for such diseases and illnesses respectively. Some of these many potential variables can include sanitation, immunization, and nutrition.
As far as sanitation is concerned the idea, UNICEF put out statistics suggesting that by 2011 only 35.1 percent of the nation’s population had access to clean water, which can only go on to demonstrate a common understanding that clean water consumption is more so a rarity than anything else. Onwards to immunization we can further our discussion by using statistics from multiple sources. For starters, the national library of medicine made a publishing that as of 2013, there is a shortage of approximately six hundred thousand doctors nationwide. Furthermore, according to the google scholar website: “scicnce direct”, there is a statistical inequality of immunization availability between the northern and southern regions of India alone. However, UNICEF went onwards to show that there has been tremendous growth within the past decade as most major immunizations hold a relative average above seventy percent for each respective major immunization. Finally, nutrition is left to be touched upon. The USDA went on to report that approximately above thirty percent of the nation’s population is legally unable to afford meals that would attribute to the bare minimums required for an individual to maintain a healthy diet. In addition to this they also add how 36.1 percent of the nation’s population is classified as dealing with “food insecurity” as they struggle to meet the 2,100 calorie diet that is suggested to be supplemented to the average human.
All in all, it can be seen across the board that these aspects alone are enough to paint a picture suggesting as to why such illnesses are seen in India. As for studying them, there can be several methods to approach this, however it is firstly important to understand the epidemic from its roots on the whole. This is an important health issue to address from a cultural standpoint as these several factors are what allows for the rest of the picture to be painted for several years to come. In a way this is what sets the trend for populations within the nation moving forward for the years to come. There are bigger ideas ahead as a result. Within Indian culture alone, this could lead to an eventual change in lifestyle and other hassles that can tamper with the growth of Indian citizens as a society and individually as they attempt to conduct their daily tasks. Similarly enough, the public health standpoint shows that there is a dire need in this nation for a rebuild in infrastructure such as immunization availability and other aspects as listed above.
Works Cited
“Correlation of Regional Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in India with Lifestyle and Nutritional Factors.” International Journal of Cardiology, Elsevier, 22 June 2005, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167527305007527.
Deo, Madhav G. “‘Doctor Population Ratio for India – the Reality.’” The Indian Journal of Medical Research, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, Apr. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3724242/.
“Statistics.” UNICEF, 27 Dec. 2013, www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_statistics.html.
Tandon, Sharad. “India Continues To Grapple With Food Insecurity.” USDA ERS – India Continues to Grapple with Food Insecurity, USDA, 3 Feb. 2014, www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2014/januaryfebruary/india-continues-to-grapple-with-food-insecurity/.