Emerging Levels and Patterns of Morbidity in Kerala

Abstract

Though Kerala has made tremendous advancements in health indicators, the state’s rising morbidity rate and accompanying health concerns remain a burning issue. This study aims to explore the emerging levels and patterns of morbidity in Kottayam district using cross-sectional data. The study reveals an alarming morbidity rate of 347 per 1000 people in Kottayam, which is substantially higher than the state average (245 per 1000 people) and more than four times higher than that of the all-India figure (75 per 1000 population). The prevalence of chronic morbidity, acute morbidity, and multiple co-morbidities is significantly high, with multiple chronic illnesses accounting for one-third of all sick people. Hence, urgent interventions by local and state governments, in collaboration with other stakeholders, are inevitable to evolve effective strategies and schemes to arrest the state’s rising morbidity trend and also to offer the best and most timely health care facilities to the morbid population.