Early Deaths in Indian Men: A Public Health Blind Spot

India is a young country but too many men here are dying before their time. Health experts call these premature deaths i.e. deaths that happen before the age of 70 and could often be prevented. In 2017, about 2.6 million Indian men aged 30 to 70 died. Many from diseases that can be treated or avoided. The sad truth is that most of these deaths didn’t have to happen.

What’s Causing These Early Deaths?

Today, most men in India are not dying from infections, but from non-communicable diseases, long-term illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. These diseases now cause about two-thirds of all deaths in the country.

But that’s not the whole story. In many states, men die younger than women. Studies show that men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s face much higher risks. For example, research from Andhra Pradesh found that men aged 25–34 were twice as likely to die as women of the same age.

Why Men Are at Greater Risk?

There are many reasons why men in India die earlier:

• Lifestyle and habits: More men smoke, drink alcohol, and eat unhealthy diets. Many also do physically demanding or unsafe jobs.

• Ignoring symptoms: Men often avoid going to doctors until problems get worse. Preventive check-ups are rare.

• Work and stress: Long hours, job insecurity, and stress take a quiet toll on mental and physical health.

• Unsafe surroundings: Air pollution, road accidents, and unsafe workplaces cause thousands of deaths every year.

• Lack of focus on men’s health: Public health programmes often focus on women and children (rightly so) but that means men’s health problems don’t always get attention or funding.

Covid-19 Exposed the Hidden Crisis

The Covid pandemic made this problem impossible to ignore. Men were more likely to die from Covid-19 than women and most of them had existing health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension or obesity. In India, studies showed that men made up nearly 70% of Covid-related deaths, even though infections were spread fairly evenly. These deaths weren’t just due to the virus itself, they reflected years of undiagnosed or poorly managed chronic disease. Covid didn’t create a men’s health crisis, it exposed the one that already exists.

When men die young, families lose breadwinners, children lose fathers and the economy loses workers. Covid-19 showed us how weak health foundations can cost lives in a crisis. If India wants a healthier future, men’s health can’t remain a blind spot. Prevention, awareness, and early care must start now before the next pandemic reminds us again.