New Delhi: Over 10,500 people died of septicaemia in the city in 2024, according to Delhi govt’s Annual Report on Births and Deaths. The severe infection in bloodstream caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi caused 11.63% of all medically certified institutional deaths caused by diseases — the leading cause of such mortalities. The report suggests many of the major illnesses that resulted in people dying in Delhi hospitals are not only treatable but also preventable, provided interventions are timely and targeted.
Septicaemia is not always a standalone disease, Arun Yadav, former director of hospital administration, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, said. In many cases, patients hospitalised for other illnesses develop septicaemia when bacteria enter their bloodstream and spread, leading to organ damage. Prevention hinges on improving immunity, following better sterilisation practices, ensuring cleanliness in hospitals and administering proper antibiotics.Diseases of the heart and circulatory system continued to take their toll, though the report spreads them across several categories. Diseases of pulmonary circulation and other forms of heart ailments caused 9,146 deaths in 2024, while hypertension claimed 4,093 lives and cerebrovascular disease resulted in 2,408 deaths. Govt health officials attribute these fatalities to poor control of blood pressure, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, high salt intake and delayed recognition of warning signs, often compounded by late arrival of patients at emergency facilities. Tuberculosis claimed 4,416 lives. Despite long-standing treatment programmes, these deaths were caused by delayed detection, interruptions in treatment, co-morbidities like diabetes and crowded living conditions, especially in low-income and migrant settlements, said the officials. A pronounced gender divide runs through the data. Of the 62,838 deaths covered under the top 24 causes, nearly 62% were that of men. The data is even more skewed in cases of liver diseases, which resulted in 3,827 deaths, with men accounting for over 80% of them. “Alcohol addiction, social stigma around treating it and limited access to de-addiction and liver-screening services are mostly to blame,” Yadav said.However, non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis is on the rise, triggered by obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, as well as eating from unhygienic outlets. Here also, men have the bigger exposure, he said.Lifestyle-related cancers, another major killer, further reinforce these behavioural risk patterns. Malignant neoplasms of the lip, oral cavity and pharynx caused 821 deaths; nearly three-fourths of the victims were men. These cancers are strongly associated with chewing tobacco and smoking.Of the 6,830 infant deaths medically certified in 2024, nearly 73% stemmed from just 10 causes. Septicaemia resulted in 1,210 such deaths, highlighting gaps in the medical system in controlling infection during delivery, neonatal intensive care and early postnatal monitoring.Pneumonia, often linked to low birth weight, inadequate breastfeeding, indoor air pollution and delay in seeking treatment, accounted for 685 infant deaths. Birth asphyxia and hypoxia, responsible for 485 deaths, point to gaps in skilled birth attendance, delayed obstetric intervention and inadequate neonatal resuscitation.Slow fetal growth, fetal malnutrition and immaturity caused 761 infant deaths, underscoring the adverse impact of maternal anaemia, poor nutritional intake and inadequate monitoring of high-risk pregnancies.Tuberculosis and meningitis together accounted for over 230 infant deaths, reflecting household transmission risks and delayed diagnosis. A senior govt official said there is a need to focus on early detection of all these diseases, preventing infections, resetting one’s lifestyle and improving the quality of maternal and neonatal care.
