Question : CASES OF ARTHRITIS

(a) whether the number of patients including children and juvenile suffering from arthritis and other bone related diseases is constantly on the rise in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor indicating the estimated number of such patients in the country, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether the Government has conducted any survey in this regard;

(d) if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and

(e) the steps taken/proposed by the Government to provide biological and other treatment to such patients at affordable cost in the country?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a) to (d): There are no longitudinal epedemiological studies conducted by ICMR to confirm that there is a rising trend in the incidence of bone diseases including arthritis in India.

However, ICMR has conducted a Multicentric Task Study on “Epidemiology of Muskuloskeletal Disease conditions in India” from July 2007-2012, across three centres viz Delhi, Jodhpur and Dibrugarh to estimate the prevalence of the select disease conditions viz., Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. The data of approximately 31,000 subjects was collected.

The study showed that the prevalence of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Delhi, Dibrugarh and Jodhpur is 0.17 %, 0.19 % and 0.62% respectively. Similarly, the prevalence of Osteoarthritis in Delhi, Dibrugarh and Jodhpur is 3.28%, 5.77% and 6.52% respectively.

(e): Health being a State subject, it is primarily the responsibility of the State governments to provide health care for the patients. The Central Government through the hospitals under it, supplements the efforts of the State Government.

Facilities to attend to arthritis patients are available at the Central Government hospitals like All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, Delhi, Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.

Under PMSSY 6 new AIIMS have been set up and upgradation of identified medical colleges has been undertaken which will also improve health care facilities.