Overpopulation - Its Effects On Public Health!

The world population is escalating at a staggering rate and India, with a population of 1.27 billion, is the second most populous country after China. Reports claim that at this rate, India will soon become the most populous country in the world by 2050. Many people are well aware of the environmental and social problems of overpopulation but very few are well informed about its adverse effects on human health. That is because overpopulation is rarely discussed as a public health issue.

Here is how uncontrolled population growth takes a toll on our health –

• Malnutrition – Overpopulation affects our water and food supplies in more than one way. Growth in population means that the ecosystem has to support more people. This will put more stress on the supply of water and food. Due to lack of resources and food supply in overpopulated areas, people across the world are faced with food scarcity and malnutrition. Between the years 2010 and 2012, one in 8 people around the world suffered from undernourishment and hunger.

• Water-borne diseases – Overpopulation often leads to contamination of water bodies, which reportedly leads to the death of 3.4 million people every year. A variety of microorganisms and toxic contaminants give way to devastating water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis E and A. The virus spreads faster in a densely populated locality and enables fatal mutations to continue, thus making water utilization unsafe.

• Air-borne diseases – With an increasing number of people using motor vehicles, the chances of contracting air-borne diseases caused by pollutants and harmful smoke particles have escalated too. The toxins in the air affect the health of children and the elderly more than that of adults. A range of respiratory infections and disorders are on the rise due to the decrease in the quality of air in urban cities. The most common ones are asthma, congestion, throat inflammation, and lung cancer. Some of the diseases are incurable and can only be managed using medication. Others, like cancer, are more aggressive and fatal.

Thus, due to overpopulation, more people are moving to urban cities, leading to a lack of resources, and scarcity of food and water. Moreover, it contributes to air and water pollution, and significantly affects public health. Elevated levels of automobile emissions and huge volumes of uncollected waste products cause several health hazards like neurological disorders, cancer, and congenital deformities.

Overpopulation adds to the government’s inability to improve healthcare facilities. It is time that we take proper steps to solve the problem of population growth. This can be done by spreading awareness about the importance of family planning, birth control measures, and sex education.