Urban health in India – Unhealthy urban India must get into street fight mode

Source: The post on Urban health in India is based on the article “Unhealthy urban India must get into street fight mode” published in The Hindu on 26^th October 2023.

UPSC Syllabus: GS 2 – Social issues – Issues Related to Health

Relevance: Health related concerns with urban Indians

News: India’s urban population is expected to become the second largest in the world by 2035. However, despite their role in driving economic growth, most Indian cities are struggling to meet healthcare, environmental, and equity goals for their residents.

What are the concerns associated with Urban health in India?

Urban residents in India face a variety of health risks, including air and noise pollution, limited green space, lack of sidewalks and parks, outdated transportation, unhealthy food, and significant exposure to toxic substances.

These factors, especially when combined with a lack of physical activity, increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes, also known as cardiometabolic diseases.

In India, 20% of the population is inactive, 37% are only mildly active, which means that a total of 57% of the surveyed population does not meet the physical activity guidelines set by the World Health Organization.

Hence, physical activity becomes necessary to mitigate the problems of cardiometabolic diseases.

What factors contribute to the rising health risks in India?

Dysfunctional Provisioning Systems: Globally, seven key provisioning systems: food, energy, transportation, housing, green infrastructure, water, and waste management, are fundamental to human health, well-being, equity, and sustainability.

However, these systems are often dysfunctional and contribute to environmental degradation and health disparities.

Colonial Origins: Urban provisioning systems in India are often rooted in colonial legacies. These systems both reflect and worsen social inequalities in cities, resulting in significant disparities in health risks and outcomes.

Hence, a new approach that aligns with global frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda, and the Health in All Policies approach is needed.

Stagnant Health Infrastructure: Investments in clean energy and electric transport in India offer an opportunity to reduce air pollution and advance climate and equity goals.

However, their potential impact on health may be limited without changes in other systems like food, transportation, and green infrastructure.

Studies have also shown that even small changes to urban planning can have a big impact on health and productivity. For example, creating safe walking and biking lanes can improve physical activity and reduce air pollution.

Long Working Hours: A majority of urban Indians work long hours, often in sedentary jobs. This leaves them with little time and energy for exercise.

High Stress: The high levels of stress that many Indians experience make it difficult to motivate themselves to exercise.

Lack of Awareness: The lack of awareness of the benefits of physical activity is another factor that contributes to the lack of regular exercise in Indian urban cities.

Many people are not aware of the link between physical inactivity and chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

How can the issues related to urban health in India can be addressed?

Regular Physical Exercise: Regular physical exercise is an effective way to reduce the risk of heart disease and other cardiometabolic diseases.

Further, electrifying transportation alone would not be enough as studies have shown that increasing physical activity is much better for health.

Investing in Footpaths: Investing in active transportation, like walking and biking paths, can also provide added health and economic advantages.

Comprehensive Policies: Encouraging healthy diets along with promoting active transportation should be integral components of comprehensive policies, benefiting both public health and economic productivity.

Increasing Awareness: It is necessary to increase awareness of the benefits of physical activity and to promote healthy lifestyles through public education campaigns.

What lies ahead?

Unhealthy diets, reduced physical activity, and urban air pollution in India pose greater health risks than drugs, tobacco, and alcohol. Hence, India needs to tackle these issues urgently.

Question for practice: Despite playing a role in driving economic growth, Indian urban population faces significant health risks. Discuss.