Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the life expectancy in the country has substantially increased since independence;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the efforts made by the Government to further increase the life expectancy of the people?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) & (b): Estimates based on the Sample Registration System (SRS) implemented by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (ORGI), show that the average life expectancy at birth has increased over the years. The expectation of life for the country for the period 1970-75 to 2010-14 is annexed. Life expectancy has been calculated by ORGI based on SRS data for 1970-75 to 1986-90 at 5 years on average basis and from 1987-91 to 2010-14 on five years moving average basis.
(c): The initiatives taken by the Government to further increase the life expectancy include provision for accessible and quality health care services to the people, prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of diseases and life threatening conditions, availability of specialized health care services for pregnant women, children, senior citizen etc under National Health Mission through Health System Strengthening in rural and urban areas, Reproductive-Maternal-Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health interventions and Communicable and Non-Communicable Disease Control Programmes etc. Further Government has also taken steps to improve other social health determinants such as accessibility to safe drinking water through National Rural Drinking Water Programme; Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan etc.