रुग्णता र मृत्यु

Mortality means deaths in a population. The six common measures are:

1. Crude Death Rate (CDR)
2. Age-Specific Death Rate (ASDR)
3. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
4. Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR)
5. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)
6. Life expectancy at birth (also expressed through the life table)

(Child or under-five mortality rate is also used.) Four of them are explained below.

1. Crude Death Rate (CDR) is the number of deaths per 1,000 mid-year population in one year.

$\text{CDR} = \frac{\text{Total deaths in a year}}{\text{Mid-year population}} \times 1000$

Example: If a district with a mid-year population of 200,000 recorded 1,600 deaths, then CDR = $\frac{1600}{200000} \times 1000 = 8$ per 1,000.

2. Age-Specific Death Rate (ASDR) is the number of deaths in a particular age group per 1,000 population of that age group in a year.

$\text{ASDR} = \frac{\text{Deaths in a given age group}}{\text{Mid-year population of that age group}} \times 1000$

Example: If 300 persons aged 60-64 died among 10,000 persons of that age, ASDR = $\frac{300}{10000} \times 1000 = 30$ per 1,000.

3. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births in a year.

$\text{IMR} = \frac{\text{Deaths under 1 year in a year}}{\text{Live births in that year}} \times 1000$

Example: If 90 infants died among 3,000 live births, IMR = $\frac{90}{3000} \times 1000 = 30$ per 1,000 live births.

4. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is the number of women dying from pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days after delivery per 100,000 live births in a year.

$\text{MMR} = \frac{\text{Maternal deaths in a year}}{\text{Live births in that year}} \times 100{,}000$

Example: If 12 women died from maternal causes among 5,000 live births, MMR = $\frac{12}{5000} \times 100000 = 240$ per 100,000 live births.

The permanent disappearance of all evidence of life at any time after live birth has taken place.

According to WHO, death is "the permanent disappearance of all evidence of life at any time after live birth has taken place (post-natal cessation of vital functions without capability of resuscitation)."

Logic: Fooding style determines the nutrition a person receives. Balanced, nutritious food supplies the energy, protein, vitamins and minerals the body needs, strengthens immunity and lowers the risk of death. Unbalanced, junk or contaminated food weakens the body and causes deficiency diseases and infections, which raise the death rate. Hence, a good fooding style lowers the death rate, while a poor one raises it.

To stay safe from morbidity—that is, to prevent illness, injury and disability—I have been adopting the following five practices in my daily life:

1. Maintaining personal hygiene. I brush my teeth twice a day, bathe regularly, wash my hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet, and keep my nails and hair clean. Good personal hygiene kills or removes germs and greatly reduces the risk of communicable diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, and skin infections.

2. Eating a balanced and safe diet. I take regular meals that include cereals, pulses, green vegetables, fruits, milk and clean drinking water, and I avoid junk food, stale food and open street food. A balanced diet builds immunity and prevents nutritional deficiency diseases like anaemia, goitre and night blindness, while safe food and water prevent food- and water-borne diseases.

3. Doing regular physical exercise and getting enough rest. I exercise or play games for about an hour daily, walk or cycle to nearby places, and sleep for 7–8 hours at night. Regular exercise keeps my weight, blood pressure and blood sugar under control and keeps my mind fresh, thereby preventing lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

4. Following safe and healthy habits. I do not smoke, chew tobacco or drink alcohol, and I keep away from such addictions. Avoiding these habits protects me from cancer, liver cirrhosis, heart disease and mental problems, and also saves me from accidents caused by intoxication.

5. Adopting safety measures and using health services. I follow traffic rules and wear a helmet or seat belt, use footwear while walking outside, and keep away from unsafe places to avoid injuries and accidents. I also get vaccinated, take treatment promptly when ill, and go for periodic health check-ups so that diseases are detected and treated early.

In this way, by combining personal hygiene, a balanced diet, regular exercise, avoidance of addictions, and safety and health-care practices, I try to remain free from morbidity.