Health issues in India and pharmacological treatment

Health issues in India and pharmacological treatment

India is a country rich in culture and diversity. Health wise, the country is transitioning regarding economics, demographics, and epidemiology. The last decade has been characterized by economic development concerning gross domestic product growth rate. The growth has created a significant disparity between the rich and the poor leading to worse health outcomes (Narain, 2016). This paper aims to describe health issues in India and pharmacological treatment for main health issues. Additionally, it will outline traditional beliefs and practices linked to health issues, cultural values and traditional practice, culturally sensitive strategies an organization and nursing staff can employ.

In terms of health issues, India is facing both communicable and non-communicable diseases. The infectious diseases include endemic diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome and neglected tropical diseases (Narain, 2016). Additionally, the country faces vector-borne diseases like dengue and acute encephalitis as well as antimicrobial resistance. Nevertheless, the leading cause of mortality in the country is the non-communicable disease which contributes to 60% of deaths (Narain, 2016). The major diseases that are attributed to death rates are chronic pulmonary diseases, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

All four diseases share four common risk factors namely lack of physical activities, unhealthy diet, tobacco use and excessive use of alcohol. Lastly, the country has high maternal and infant mortality rates. The infant mortality rates are 41.4 deaths per 1,000 live births which is higher than the global statistics at 33.6 per 1,000 live births (Narain, 2016).