RTI reveals death toll from Hepatitis goes down in Mumbai
4 Aug, 2013
The replies to applications filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act have revealed that despite Mumbai witnessing an increase in the number of Hepatitis cases, the overall death toll from the disease has gone down over past five years.
The data acquired from the public health department of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) shows that number of deaths in Mumbai from Hepatitis has decreased from 260 in 2008-09 to 163 in 2012-13. However, the data also shows that during the same period the number of recorded hepatitis cases has increased from 1,580 to 2,939. The data gathered from various municipal dispensaries, as well as municipal and state hospitals tells that out of 163 deaths, 44 were due to Hepatitis B (B16) and the rest were caused by other viral hepatitis (A, C and E).
The information provided in the reply pertained only to Hepatitis A, B, C and E and didn't pertain to hepatitis D, F and G. However, Hepatitis A accounted for the maximum incidents reported in the city each year since 2010.