Liver cirrhosis, long associated with chronic alcohol consumption and poor lifestyle choices, is claiming an alarming number of lives in Goa. According to official data presented in the State Assembly, an average of 27 people die each month due to cirrhosis-related complications, with the highest fatality rates seen among those in their forties and fifties.
This worrying statistic was revealed in a written reply to Mayem MLA Premendra Shet, who had raised the issue of liver disease and alcohol-related deaths during the monsoon session. While overall fatalities fell slightly from 341 in 2023 to 309 in 2024, the trend remains deeply concerning, particularly among the middle-aged.
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The number of deaths among individuals aged 31 to 40 declined from 67 in 2023 to 61 in 2024. In the 41 to 50 age group — which remains the most affected — fatalities dropped from 107 to 80. However, the situation has worsened slightly among those aged 51 to 60, with deaths rising from 80 to 84 over the same period. In the 61 to 70 age bracket, the death toll increased from 50 to 54.
The data reveals a shift, with younger people showing marginal improvement while the older demographic sees a slight but steady rise in fatalities.
Health authorities report that approximately 285 patients are treated for liver disease every month in Goa, with many requiring multiple hospital admissions due to recurring complications. Medical professionals are now sounding the alarm over the growing burden of both alcohol-induced and metabolic liver disease in the State.
Dr Rahul Kakodkar, a liver transplant surgeon, confirmed that Goa mirrors a national trend, where a significant percentage of the population suffers from some form of liver dysfunction. “In India, it is estimated that one in every eight individuals who visits a doctor has some form of liver disease. If we extrapolate that to Goa, it is significant,” he said.
Dr Kakodkar noted that the age group most impacted tends to fall between 35 and 60, though liver disease can strike at any age, depending on the underlying causes. He expressed particular concern over the increasing number of fatty liver cases being detected among men in the State, describing it as a “worrying rise.”
Explaining the cause profile for male patients, Dr Kakodkar said that a large proportion suffer from metabolic-associated liver disease — including non-alcoholic fatty liver linked to diabetes and obesity — followed by alcohol-induced damage and viral infections such as hepatitis B and C. For women, over 70 per cent of liver-related illness is attributed to metabolic causes, while the rest stems from alcohol abuse, hepatitis, and other less common conditions.
According to him, the larger concern is the rapid deterioration in general health patterns across the population. “It’s rare now to meet someone who doesn’t have some degree of fatty liver disease. If current dietary and lifestyle trends continue unchecked, the problem will only get worse,” he cautioned.
Goa, often regarded as one of India’s high-consumption states when it comes to alcohol, appears to be paying the price through this slow-building yet deadly health emergency. Despite a slight dip in overall liver-related deaths, the persistence of cases in the most productive age groups signals the need for aggressive public health awareness, early diagnosis, and preventive care.
