Simultaneously, the proportion of anaemic men doubled between 2005 (13.6%) and 2015 (25.9%), and anaemic women went up from 38% to 53.5%. The state’s sex ratio has improved from 746 to 860 (the all-India ratio is 906 (2014)), although there are, as we shall see, wide district-level variations. Punjab has India’s highest proportion of households with improved sources of drinking water, among the lowest proportion of households that practice open defecation, and India’s fourth lowest proportion of children younger than five who are underweight. As of now, Punjab’s health system seems ill-equipped to face new challenges. The state elections give political parties an opportunity to share with voters their vision and plan for a healthy Punjab.

Source: Hindustan Times February 02, 2017 07:53 UTC