Urbanisation and health

Urbanisation is a boon to society in many ways. In modern days, we cannot think of our life without electronic gadgets like mobile phones, i-pods, and personal computers/laptops. Modern life without electricity, refrigerators, telephone amplifiers, etc, is unthinkable. Fast moving vehicles in fact make the world look smaller and distant places have become easily approachable. Development of various industries has created job opportunities for ever growing population in urban as well as rural areas.

Increase in uses of various electronic gadgets also increases the health hazards. Increase in use of fast moving vehicles has increased the incidences of deaths due to accidents.

With the fast pace of development in urban areas the pressure of work and tension related to work among the people have increased manifolds. Many people fail to cope with the increasing day to day work pressure and suffer from anxiety and depression which also increases the risk of suicidal tendencies in urban areas.

Increase in number of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiac diseases owe to urbanisation of modern society. The change in the style of living and fast food based food habits in urban areas contribute to increasing health hazards.

Global change in climatic condition also indicates ominous effects of urbanisation. There was being gradual decrease in comfort index due to urbanisation. Overall gradual decrease in average atmospheric temperature along with repeated incidences of flood and natural disasters are mostly due to ominous effects of urbanisation. Due to rapid industrialisation and technological advancement, urbanisation is a global phenomenon. It is associated with many healthy challenges related to water, environment, violence and injury, non communicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases), unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol as well as the risks associated with disease outbreaks.

Keeping the benefits of urbanisation in mind, we must concentrate on ever growing hazards of urbanisation.