GOVERNMENT
OF
MINISTRY
OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED
QUESTION NO.928
TO BE
ANSWERED ON
Deaths due to waterborne diseases
928. SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR:
Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be
pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact
that the number of people dying of waterborne diseases in the country is on the
rise;
(b) if so, the details
thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(c) what action Government
intends to take in this regard?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI GHULAM
(a) &
(b): (i) Number of people reported to
have died of major water-borne diseases during last three years shows a mixed
trend. While the reported number of
deaths caused by Enteric Fever (Typhoid) and Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases (ADD)
show a declining trend, the number of people who died of Cholera and viral
Hepatitis have registered a marginal increase. Details of deaths due to major
water borne diseases during last three years are given as under :
|
Diseases |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 (Provisional) |
|
Cholera |
3 |
1 |
12 |
|
Viral
Hepatitis |
544 |
536 |
586 |
|
Enteric
Fever (Typhoid) |
452 |
366 |
421 |
|
Acute
Diarrhoeal Diseases (ADD) |
3603 |
2865 |
1762 |
Source: ‘National Health Profile’ brought out by the
Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, Directorate General of Health Service,
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
(ii) Water-borne diseases occur mainly as a consequence of consumption
of contaminated water.
(c): Provision of safe drinking water is the main strategy to contain
spread of water borne diseases.
Responsibility for providing
safe drinking water primarily lies with the State Governments. However, following
programmes are being run by Government of India through State Governments/local
bodies to ensure supply of safe drinking water:
Ministry of Rural
Development – Department of Drinking Water Supply
(i)
National
Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).
(ii)
Rural
Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and
Surveillance Programme.
(iii)
Jalmani
Programme.
Ministry of Urban
Development
Jawaharlal
Nehru National Urban Renewal
National Centre for Diseases Control
(NCDC) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issues technical guidelines
to State Governments from time to time on prevention and control of water-borne
diseases. NCDC also helps State Governments in carrying out investigations of
outbreaks of such water-borne diseases under Integrated Disease Surveillance
Project.
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