Infectious disease fatalities more than double from pre-Covid levels
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Deaths from infectious diseases have more than doubled from pre-Covid levels, with 566 fatalities reported in 2024, up 140% from 234 in 2019.
While the death toll has gradually risen across the 20 or so categories of communicable diseases tracked by the health department, the significant rise in leptospirosis-related fatalities stands out.
In 2024, leptospirosis accounted for nearly one-third of all deaths from infectious diseases. The fatality rate of hepatitis A has also seen a notable increase.
Public health experts are concerned about the heightened risk of post-Covid morbidity, alongside the rising death rate due to increased exposure to infectious environments.
As the health community debated what to prioritise, Covid-19 served as a wake-up call to strengthen surveillance and prevention strategies for communicable diseases – over non-communicable diseases. Yet, there are growing concerns that the pandemic has been largely forgotten, at the expense of increasing morbidity and mortality rates.
“We stopped learning after the pandemic. The pandemic has weakened our immune systems, which could have triggered the virulence of other viruses,” said Dr P S Shajahan, a pulmonary medicine professor at Alappuzha Government TD Medical College and vice-chairman of the IMA Research Cell.
“Infectious diseases should be given the same priority as lifestyle diseases. Early detection, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases are crucial for public health,” he added.
Dr B Ekbal, a public health activist and head of the expert panel advising the state on Covid-19 and elderly vaccination, emphasised that the impact of long Covid should be studied more thoroughly. In 2024, there were 100 more deaths compared to 2023.
A slight reduction in dengue deaths from 153 in 2023 to 99 in 2024 was the only positive development. However, leptospirosis-related deaths surged 65% year-on-year.
Dr Althaf A, an epidemiologist and professor at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical Hospital, highlighted that the 2018 floods worsened the leptospirosis situation in the state.
“During Covid, leptospirosis cases were lower due to reduced exposure, but the numbers have been steadily rising since then. The infections are worsening rapidly, leading to higher fatality rates. There is an urgent need to investigate the rising number of leptospirosis cases and their transmission routes,” he said.