Primary Healthcare in Developing Countries: A Focus on India

Running head: HEALTHCARE
Healthcare
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Introduction
According to Jamali and Carroll (2017), a developing country is a low-to-middle
income country (LMIC). These countries have weaker financial and industrial bases along
with lower qualities of life relative to the prevailing global norms. In other words it can be
said that classification of developing countries is done on the basis of poor levels of
industrialization and Human Development Index (HDI). A low HDI signifies that population
of that country have poor life expectancy, low educational attainment, higher fertility rates
and low per capita in comparison to the other countries. Majority of the countries in Africa,
Central Europe, Asia, Eastern Europe, South America and Central America are enlisted under
developing countries. The following essay is based on the primary healthcare in the
developing countries. The main developing country of focus will be India. The essay will
initiate with throwing light over the demographic and epidemiological profile, development
status and relevant social and political features of India. This will be followed by the main
population groups that are bearing the highest disease burden in India. The essay will also
identify the patterns in which the illness differs in wealthier nations like Australia while
understanding the relationship between health and development in developed and developing
countries.
Demography and Epidemiology of India
India, a developing country has an estimated population of 1.37 billion as per the
statistics highlighted by the United Nations in 2019. India is world's 7th largest country and
2aznd most populous country. As per the demographic data 72% are Indo-Aryan, 25% are
Dravidian and 3% or Mongoloids. Hinduism is the most common religion in India and this is
followed by Islam, Christians, Buddhists and Jains (All India Institute of Hygiene and Public
Health 2019). Top 10 causes of death in India as per Centre of Disease Control and

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Prevention (CDC 2019) include cardiovascular diseases, diarrheal diseases, neonatal
disorders, non-communicable diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, mental
disorders, nutritional deficiencies, unintentional injuries and neoplasms. Arokiasamy (2018)
highlighted in their study that non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, nutritional diseases, cancer and respiratory complications, is an important public
health problem in India causing high levels of mortality and morbidity. Changes in the
demographic structure, unhealthy lifestyle habits along with robust urbanization are the major
reasons behind the increased incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India.
Disease burden and relation of socio-economic status
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD)
According to the World Health Organisations, at least 80% of the deaths occurring in
LMIC like India, occurs from cardiovascular disease. The main target population are the
people between the age group of 35 to 64 years. The percentage of death tolls is high both in
rural and in urban areas (Sekhri et al. 2014). However, Nag and Ghosh (2013) are of the
opinion that the people in urban areas are more prone towards getting affected with
cardiovascular diseases due to gap in health lifestyle management like unhealthy diet plan,
lack of physical activity and high consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Gupta et al.
highlighted that one of the fatal disease under the category of CVD is stroke and India has an
annual incidence of stroke between 100 to 150 people per 100,000 populations. Sekhri et al.
(2014) also evidenced that urbanization in India is leading to the increases incidence of stroke
by 17.5% during the last five years.
Diabetes Mellitus
India is currently experiencing an epidemic state of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
(T2DM). As per the reports of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), at least 50.8

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million people in India are a victim of T2DM. Initially the people residing in the rural areas
are the main victims of the T2DM however, the survey conducted by the American Diabetes
Association highlighted that people residing in the urban areas of India are also becoming
victims of diabetes (Sosale et al. 2014). Kaveeshwar and Cornwall (2014) highlighted that
lack of proper disease awareness is the reason behind the high rate of occurrence of T2DM in
urban areas. On the other hand, poor lifestyle habits or sedentary lifestyles are reason behind
high rate of occurrence of T2DM in rural areas. Sosale et al. (2014) reported that rate of
incidence of diabetes is high in males in comparison to females.
Cancer
Nearly 56% of estimated deaths occur from cancer in the developing countries. In
India, tobacco related cancers constitute 40.43% of death among the make population.
Whereas in females the highest reported cases include the cervical cancer, breast and ovarian
cancer. While in female, the cancer occurrence is attribute to increase exposure to pollution
and poor lifestyle and in male, the cancer of the pulmonary organs like lung cancer,
oesophagus, pharynx and larynx cancer is mainly attributable to increased rate of smoking
that comes under the poor lifestyle habits (Mallath et al. 2014). Pramesh, Badwe and Sinha
(2014) reported in their study that lack of proper employment, financial crisis and social
exclusion is the reason behind higher occurrence of lung cancer and oral cancer in the rural
areas. In urban areas, constant exposure to pollution and the fever of urbanization have made
urban female population of India to become victims of ovarian and cervical cancers.
Infectious Disease in India
Laxminarayan and Chaudhury (2016) reported that reported that increase in the
outbreak of the infectious diseases in India is mainly attributed to incomplete usage of the
antibiotic dosage for the management of the infectious diseases or use of the broader