Times of India29th January, 2014. Life expectancy up by Janani "ampath T## years in !

ast decade

$hennai% If your chi!d &as born in the !ast coup!e of years, he or she is !i'e!y to !i(e fi(e years more than chi!dren born a decade a)o. "tatistics re!eased by the *nion ministry of hea!th and fami!y &e!fare sho& that !ife expectancy in India has )one up by fi(e years, from +2., years for ma!es and +,.9 years for fema!es in 2001-200 to +.., years and +9.+ years respecti(e!y in 2011-201 . /xperts attribute this 0ump hi)her than that in the pre(ious decade to better immuni1ation and nutrition, coup!ed &ith pre(ention and treatment of infectious diseases. The 2or!d 3ea!th 4r)ani1ation defines !ife expectancy as 5the a(era)e number of years a person is expected to !i(e on the basis of the current morta!ity rates and pre(a!ence distribution of hea!th states in a popu!ation6. In India, a(era)e !ife expectancy, &hich used to be around 42 in 19+0, steadi!y c!imbed to around 47 in 1970, 7. in 1990 and around +2 in 2000. The o(era!! hea!th indicators ha(e a!so sho&n si)nificant impro(ement in the past 10 years. Infant morta!ity ratio has come do&n to 42 in 2012 from 7 per 1,000 !i(e births in the 200 . 8"teady supp!y of food prime reason for rise in !ifespan9 :aterna! morta!ity ratio has dec!ined from ,01 per 100,000 !i(e births in 2001-0, to 212 in 200.-09,6 the hea!th ministry said. 5; steady supp!y of food is the prime reason for increased !ife expectancy,6 says <r =eor)e Thomas, editor of the Indian Journa! of :edica! /thics. "ince the time of Independence, famine has reduced dramatica!!y and peop!e ha(e a decent supp!y of nutrition. The rea! cha!!en)e !ies in ta'in) the numbers beyond this.6 Thomas pointed out that increasin) !ife expectancy beyond .0 years &ou!d depend on en(ironmenta! factors. 5"upp!y of c!ean drin'in) &ater and better contro! of noncommunicab!e diseases &ou!d p!ay a ma0or ro!e. 3o&e(er, India is sti!! )rapp!in) &ith communicab!e diseases,6 he said. <r " >a!asubramanian, 0oint director of Tami! #adu pub!ic hea!th, said% 5/ar!ier, peop!e had more chi!dren, and the chances of a!! the 'ids )ettin) a ba!anced diet &ere !o&. ?ami!y p!annin) has he!ped. $hi!dhood (accination has chec'ed epidemics and sa(ed !i(es.6 <iseases !i'e diphtheria, tetanus and &hoopin) cou)h ha(e been e!iminated comp!ete!y. 5India has a!so been recent!y dec!ared a po!io free nation, &hich is an added feather to the cap,6 he said.

"ome experts sti!! ad(ocate caution. 52ith increased !ife expectancy, the disease burden &ou!d increase,6 said )eriatrician <r > @rishnas&amy. 5Aes, &e &i!! !i(e !on)er, but the bi) Buestion is ho& hea!thy our !i(es &ou!d be,6 he said.