{
  "id": 544749,
  "title": "Heart disease led Maharashtra’s deaths in 2024, but cancer, diabetes stood out",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/heart-disease-led-maharashtras-deaths-in-2024-but-cancer-diabetes",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-11T06:58:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/heart-disease-maharashtras-2024-deaths-cancer-diabetes-10827608/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2024, heart disease emerged as the leading cause of death among medically certified fatalities in Maharashtra, accounting for 30.8% of the 327,174 certified deaths, or 100,878 individuals. However, the state's mortality profile reveals an intriguing divergence from the national pattern. Cancer, metabolic diseases, and injuries claimed a notably larger share of deaths in Maharashtra than across India. Cancer, for instance, accounted for 8.1% of Maharashtra's deaths, with 26,492 fatalities, compared to just 5% nationally. Metabolic disorders, encompassing diabetes and related conditions, likewise constituted 7.5% of deaths in the state, or 24,462 cases, whereas the national figure stood at 4%. Additionally, the state registered a higher proportion of deaths from injuries, poisoning, and other external causes, representing 5.5% of medically certified deaths, or 18,061 fatalities, against 4.1% nationwide. Respiratory diseases, although significant, ranked second in Maharashtra, comprising 9.8% of certified deaths, or 32,133 cases, slightly lower than the national share of 11%. Infectious and parasitic diseases, on the other hand, accounted for 6.7% of deaths in Maharashtra, or 21,807 cases, a decline from the national share of 8.3%. These disparities highlight a mortality pattern in Maharashtra that deviates from the national average. While Maharashtra exhibits lower proportions of certified deaths due to circulatory and infectious diseases, it experiences higher rates of cancer, metabolic disorders, and external causes of death. However, it's crucial to note a limitation in the data. The Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) figures only encompass deaths for which a medically certified cause has been determined, excluding all registered deaths in the state. In 2024, Maharashtra recorded 739,124 registered deaths under the Civil Registration System, with 327,174 medically certified, yielding an overall medical certification rate of 44.3%. This rate has increased from 39.3% in 2022 and 42.4% in 2023, substantially surpassing the national average of 23.1%. Importantly, Maharashtra reported 100% medical certification for deaths of individuals who received medical attention during their final illness, a distinction crucial for interpreting the cause-of-death figures.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}