Question : Water Borne Diseases

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that 2437 people died in 2018 because of four major water borne diseases Cholera, Acute Diarrheal Diseases, Typhoid and Viral Hepatitis, if so, the details thereof along with the number of deaths in 2019;

(b) whether as per the data and study of Government/ Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), the children below five years are mostly affected and their death rate is high, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes to pay special attention in the wake of data available with the Government; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken or being taken in this regard?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) & (b): As per data reported by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), 2439 people died in 2018 because of four major water borne diseases Cholera, Acute Diarrheal Diseases, Typhoid and Viral Hepatitis. Complete data for the year 2019 have not been received from all the States / UTs.
(c) & (d): As per the Constitutional provisions, ‘Health’ is a State subject. The responsibility for providing safe drinking water to avoid spreading of water borne diseases primarily lies with respective State Government. However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides financial and technical assistance to States / UTs under the National Health Mission (NHM) for strengthening of Primary and Secondary health care facilities to effectively respond to health care needs including health problems arising from consumption of contaminated drinking water. Under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), additional manpower, training of identified Rapid Response Team members for outbreak investigations, strengthening of laboratories for detection of epidemic prone diseases, IT equipment for data entry, analysis and data transfer, and provision of funds for operationalization, etc. are provided to prevent the spread of disease outbreaks.