Regarding the Abridged Life Tables report: The longevity puzzle

News: According to the recent Abridged Life Tables report for the period of 2015-19, the average Indian can expect to live about 69.7 years, around two years more than the life expectancy 10 years ago.

What are the findings of the report?

India’s life expectancy has improved by leaps and bounds from an abysmal 32 years around the time of independence to 70 years now. The life expectancy also looks modest when one compares it with the global average of 72.6 years and when compared with neighbouring Bangladesh at 72.1 and Nepal at 70 years.

However, India’s life expectancy rate is also significantly behind China’s at 76.9 years. The life expectancy crosses the global average in the following Indian states and Union Territories — Delhi, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Maharashtra — But, none of them surpasses China’s record.

What are the challenges highlighted by the report?

Challenges with infants: Indian babies, especially girl children, still have a low chance of survival at birth and infancy.

For instance, the latest abridged sample registration system data shows that the gap between life expectancy at birth and that at ages one or five has improved by only about 20 years over a 45-year period.

Life expectancy is not even throughout India: States in the north and east of India have a lower life expectancy. Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh became the worst performers on life expectancy with 65.6 years and 65.3 years respectively.

Difference between rural and urban India: There are wide discrepancies between rural and urban life expectancy, which can vary as much as five to eight years.

What are the steps taken to improve life expectancy?

Since 1975, a) the Indian government has run a massive programme that was set up to focus on the health and nutrition needs of children under six years of age. 2) A large network of anganwadi centres was set up, and c) Almost every state offered mid-day meal schemes in their schooling system, d) Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) boasts being one of the largest such programmes in the world.

What is the reason for India’s poor showing on life expectancy?

a) Abysmal access to medical infrastructure for the average Indian, particularly women, b) Over the years, both budgetary allocations and institutional attention to the implementation of ICDS and related schemes appear to have reduced. This results in far lower coverage and c) Major beneficiaries of government schemes such as ICDS and MDMS have been middle and lower-middle class children rather than the poor and marginalised.

The findings on life expectancy suggest that an urgent course correction is long overdue to improve life expectancy.

Source: The post is based on an article “The longevity puzzle” published in the “Business Standard” on 13^th June 2022.