| 74 | Part I: Fundamental Concepts
Death Rate
The death rate is the number of deaths in a year per thousand of the
population. The following factors affect the death rate:
(i) The standard of living : Proper and adequate food and hous-
ing will lower the death rate. Likewise, an improvement in
food supply will bring about a fall in the death rate. When the
impact of famines is averted and scarcity of food is tackled,
death rate will decline.
(ii) Public health measures : Better sanitation, vaccination, water
purifi cation, anti-pollution measures, etc. will reduce the death
rate. Such measures will help countries to wipe out epidemics
like cholera, small-pox and plague. The Malaria Eradication Pro-
gramme in India considerably reduced ...