Syllabus: 

GS1: Population and Associated Issues 

Context: 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India’s two strengths are its demography and democracy, with the country being the most populous and the largest democracy in the world.

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• On July 11, 1987, the world population reached five billion, prompting the UN to establish World Population Day in 1989. 
• The day highlights crucial issues such as family planning, gender equality, maternal and child health, and human rights.
• With a global population of over eight billion, progress is evident, but challenges remain. 
• In India, healthcare and innovation have advanced, yet rural and marginalised areas still lack access, infrastructure, and preventive care.
• World Population Day reminds us that population growth is not just a number. It demands action. Health systems must be inclusive, sustainable, and rooted in both technology and community.
• India spends only 3.6% of its GDP on health, far below the 8–11% typical of developed nations, limiting productivity and well-being. 
• Census 2027 must go beyond headcount to capture actionable health data: age, disability, sanitation, healthcare access, and household risk factors.

Importance of the Census in Healthcare

Health Mapping Opportunity

• The Census must be viewed as a health-mapping opportunity. It can reassess healthcare access, disease burden, ageing trends, and infrastructure gaps. India’s major public health gains have often relied on Census-based data.
• In 1994, India had 60% of global polio cases. The National Immunisation Programme reduced cases by 94% between 2009 and 2010, leading to the WHO declaring India “polio-free” in 2014. 
• Similarly, the National Leprosy Eradication Programme used census-linked prevalence maps to target districts, reducing prevalence from 0.69 (2014-15) to 0.57 (2024-25).
• The TB control programme used demographic data to guide diagnostics and medicine distribution, achieving a 17.7% drop in incidence and a 21.4% fall in TB deaths between 2015 and 2023.
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of real-time, granular data — India conducted over 930 million tests and administered 2.2 billion vaccine doses by March 2023. 
• Today, rising NCDs, mental illness, and emerging infections demand a data-driven, future-ready health strategy.

Insights for healthcare outcomes

• The census provides key data on demographics and socio-economic patterns, enabling tailored policies. 
• In the coming decade, its insights will be crucial for crafting responsive and forward-looking healthcare strategies.

Large-scale health screenings

• With accurate population mapping, governments can identify underserved areas and organise mass health screening programmes. 
• Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can play a pivotal role — private labs and NGOs can support mobile diagnostic vans, while local industries can fund periodic camps through CSR initiatives. 
• Schools and workplaces can be targeted for age-specific screenings, and digital registries based on census clusters can ensure timely follow-up and preventive care.

Community awareness for healthier lifestyles

• Census data helps pinpoint clusters with high malnutrition, anaemia, or poor child growth, enabling targeted, community-led responses.
• In rural areas, panchayats and self-help groups can boost nutrition by promoting kitchen gardens, nutrient-rich crops, and improving food delivery through PDS, ICDS, and midday meal monitoring.
• Census data reveals poor diets in urban low-income and migrant areas. Community efforts, including RWAs, NGOs, and local influencers like teachers and elderly women, can promote nutrition and food safety more effectively than top-down campaigns.

Strengthening primary health infrastructure

• Despite 30,000+ PHCs, many northern and central regions remain underserved. 
• Census data can pinpoint gaps and support upgrading PHCs to HWCs under Ayushman Bharat.
• Tamil Nadu and Kerala show effective, data-driven PHC implementation. In cities, trust in local GPs is vital; census-linked registries can help integrate them into the public health system.

Planning for an ageing population

• India’s senior citizen population, 149 million in 2022, is projected to reach 227 million by 2036, nearly 15% of the population. 
• This shift calls for a major rethink in healthcare delivery. 
• Census data can identify elderly-dense areas, enabling targeted measures such as mobile geriatric units, chronic illness screening, and improved access to medicines.
• Telemedicine and home care can improve access in rural areas. States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Himachal Pradesh can lead in elder-care innovation. Linking census data with welfare schemes ensures dignified, inclusive care for the elderly.

Source: The Hindu 

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/demography-and-democracy-moving-forward-with-better-health-outcomes/article69799276.ece