7 decades of wellness: How life expectancy increased in India the last 75 years

New Delhi: We are only days apart from the mega celebrations of India’s 75^th Independence Day and it is time to look back at what we achieved since 1947 when we were declared a free nation. It has been seven and half decades and we now look back at what has been achieved in all these years – especially in the health sector. As a first, India’s life expectancy improved impressively rising from 32 years in 1947 to 70.19 years in 2022. This means that there has been a 100 per cent increase in the numbers with life expectancy being one of the most important indicators of human development.

But to what do we owe this success?

Studies reveal that India’s remarkable improvement in life expectancy is owed to better availability of the following:

1. Evolving technology
2. Treatments
3. Medicines

Several experts believe that enhancements in child and infant mortality along with maternal mortality have a role to play in this. Although since 2021, there has been a marginal decline in infant mortality as per the National Health Family Survey-5 (NHFS-5), the improvement continues to be significant.

Management of communicable and non-communicable diseases

Communicable diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and dengue to name a few have also been managed well since after independence – and this success is credited to several national programmes launched in that direction. Non-communicable diseases such as polio were also eradicated during this duration, thanks to campaigns such as ‘Do boond zindagi ke’ and efforts of going door to door to administer the dose to children across cities and villages. In 2014, the country was declared Polio Free as no new case had been reported since 2011.

As per a study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1947, 75 million cases of malaria were estimated in India. During the late 1950s and early 1960 – the eradication era – caseload was reduced to one lakh. As per the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Malaria Report, only India showed progress against the disease’s management. The nation is now hustling to eradicate Leprosy and better management of HIV, and TB to name a few.

In a nutshell, we can say that it is in fact a win on the part of the government and the public as a whole for better management of diseases, awareness, and smart use of medications – and is one of the first few nations to come up with a vaccine for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Not only has India become more aware, but it also has the right weapons to fight medical crises – from experienced and well-trained doctors to advanced facilities at hospitals and better access to advanced medicine.