Infectious, parasitic diseases accounted for 24% deaths in Delhi in 2023: Report

A report from the Delhi government reveals that nearly 24 per cent of the total 89,000 deaths recorded in the city in 2023 were due to infectious and parasitic diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B, among others.

The Medical Certification of Cause of Deaths (MCCD) Report 2023, released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Delhi shows that approximately 21,000 people died from these diseases out of the total 88,628 institutional deaths.

The report also highlights that 6,054 institutional deaths were due to cancer and related diseases, which marks an almost 12 per cent increase from the 5,409 cases reported in 2022.

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Among infants, the highest number of institutional deaths were caused by slow foetal growth, foetal malnutrition, and immaturity (1,517), followed by pneumonia (1,373), septicaemia (1,109), and hypoxia, birth asphyxia, and other respiratory conditions (704).

Age-wise, the highest number of institutional deaths occurred in individuals aged 45-64 years. In total, 28,611 (32.28 per cent) men and women died in this age group in 2023, followed by 26,096 (29.44 per cent) deaths in those aged 65 years and above, the report added.

(With inputs from PTI)