Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Oct 12: Snakebites, viral meningitis and malaria seem to be the biggest trouble makers in Orissa as the state tops the list in the country in the number of deaths due to snakebites and viral meningitis. The state is also leading when it comes to maximum number of malaria cases in the country.
The data revealed by the National Health Profile 2015 talked about morbidity, mortality and other parameters of health in different states and Union territories.
The document said Orissa accounted for maximum number of snakebite deaths at 186 last year.
Similarly, a total of 2,694 cases of viral meningitis were reported from the state out of a total of 7,812 cases pan-India in 2014. Moreover, the maximum number of malaria cases amounting to 3,88,451 were reported last year from the state. However the maximum deaths caused by the disease were reported from Tripura.
Also, the state is fifth in the country when it comes to spread of Gonococcal infection, a type of sexually transmitted disease.
Nine places from the state were also reported to have fluoride-affected people and they included Khurda, Angul, Bargarh, Nayagarh, Nuapara, Jajpur, Cuttack, Bolangir and Kalahandi.
The report said 76.6 per cent of latrines in the state are near households and they are open making it vulnerable to different types of infections.
The national profile compiled and produced by the health department with the aid of Central Bureau of Health Intelligence dwells upon communicable and non communicable diseases and its spread in different states.
It also talks about the success of different health programmes in different states.
However, on a positive note, the coastal state has also some brownie points. Many killer diseases prevalent in other states are not reported from here.
For example, last year not even a single case of cholera, kalazar, acute encephalitis syndrome, Japanese encephalitis were reported from the state. Also, against a target of 700 eye donations, the state achieved 830.