Public Health and awareness, the only way out

 

 

Post liberalisation, metropolises have seen large influx of migrant population that are in constant search of better opportunity. They have put an extra burden on the environment of cities. Pollution level has reached a hazardous level in most of the cities. From air to water, everything is getting more polluted by the day.

The polluted environment, clubbed with the changing lifestyle, has given birth to several diseases. Because of the pollution, diseases such as cancer, asthma and other respiratory complications have become a common fare. Apart from that, complications such as high blood-pressure, paralysis, cardiac arrest and diabetes are also making inroads rather quickly. These ailments are more common in cities than they are in villages. The primary reason is the modern lifestyle of cities. Earlier, heart complications were strictly found in old-age population but now cases from the age group of 20-25 years are also being reported in large numbers. The same stands true for diabetes as well. A recent survey has revealed that as many as 4-11% of Indian populace in the cities are suffering from this ailment. The situation is appalling and alarming at the same time.

Talking of remedies, apart from AIDS, all of them are largely curable. Nevertheless, medications and surgeries are relatively costly. Many a times, they are out of the reach of the common man. But one must also keep in mind that the reasons behind most of these diseases are related to lifestyle.

City specific diseases are most commonly caused by tension, smoking, alcohol and unbalanced diets. Due to relatively high income, people in the cities are used to a luxurious lifestyle. They start panting the moment they take 10 odd paces. It affects their health. Exercise is an answer to several diseases. Regular exercise and a holistic lifestyle can prove to be helpful in eradicating most of these diseases.

Another reason behind the increasing number of cases of diseases in India is a lack of awareness regarding health education. Most of them don’t even know about the prevention tactics, leave alone remedies. It is a misconception that lack of awareness about health is confined to villages only. In fact, the situation in cities is no better. My experience says that not only urban hamlets, even the educated class of metropolises are largely unaware of the basic knowledge about these killer diseases. In several cases, they are even ignorant of most basic of complications. It is sad those people residing in cities, too, fall for quacks and sorceresses and end up complicating their ailments.

The most convenient way out is to make people aware about diseases, its prevention as well as remedies. Many a times, people acquire fatal diseases because of lack of proper knowledge and blind faith. The reason behind the spread of AIDS is lack of awareness. At several instances, it was found that convicts who rape teenagers believed that having sex with a virgin could cure them of AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). It is precisely because of such misconceptions that our National Health Mission has stressed on Public Health Education. But that depends on its proper implementation. If India is to be made a disease-free nation, it is essential that people should be made aware about their health and the environment through a well laid out programme. In most countries, issues such as public health and education become major election issues. As far as India is concerned, leave alone becoming major election issues, these issues don’t even find mention in the election rhetoric.

They are only mentioned, and insignificantly at that, in election manifestoes, which anyway hardly anybody goes through. The onus lies on the media too. It is laughable how they go out of the way when a child or an animal falls into a ditch but they don’t find enough time for health related programmes.