Caste, Wealth and Regional Inequalities in Health Status of Women and Children in India

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Abstract

Since time unmemorable, the caste system has been prevalent in Indian society. It has deeply developed roots in human minds, which leads to income inequality in the country. In the era of globalization and privatization, inequalities have extended to a large extent, which in turn has serious consequences for women and children’s health. In this article, an attempt has been made to understand the Caste, Income and Regional inequalities as determinants of health of women and children. For this study, the data are derived from the National Family Health Survey III conducted during 2005–2006. Bivariate and regression analysis has been done to understand the likelihood of health status of women and child in different categories. The results show that the scheduled tribes and schedule castes having poor wealth quintile and northern Indian women and children are at a greater disadvantage in all indicators of women and child health as compared to other groups.

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Most cited references 17

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This paper examines the patterns and determinants of maternal health care utilization across different social settings in South India: in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) carried out during 1992-93 across most states in India are used. Results show that utilization of maternal health care services is highest in Kerala followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Utilization of maternal health care services is not only associated with a range of reproductive, socio-economic, cultural and program factors but also with state and type of health service. The interstate differences in utilization could be partly due to variations in the implementation of maternal health care program as well as differences in availability and accessibility between the states. In the case of antenatal care, there was no significant rural-urban gap, thanks to the role played by the multipurpose health workers posted in the rural areas to provide maternal health care services. The findings of this study provide insights for planning and implementing appropriate maternal health service delivery programs in order to improve the health and well-being of both mother and child.

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Health care and equity in India.

Veedamali Subramanian, S. Selvaraj, Y Balarajan (2011)

In India, despite improvements in access to health care, inequalities are related to socioeconomic status, geography, and gender, and are compounded by high out-of-pocket expenditures, with more than three-quarters of the increasing financial burden of health care being met by households. Health-care expenditures exacerbate poverty, with about 39 million additional people falling into poverty every year as a result of such expenditures. We identify key challenges for the achievement of equity in service provision, and equity in financing and financial risk protection in India. These challenges include an imbalance in resource allocation, inadequate physical access to high-quality health services and human resources for health, high out-of-pocket health expenditures, inflation in health spending, and behavioural factors that affect the demand for appropriate health care. Use of equity metrics in monitoring, assessment, and strategic planning; investment in development of a rigorous knowledge base of health-systems research; development of a refined equity-focused process of deliberative decision making in health reform; and redefinition of the specific responsibilities and accountabilities of key actors are needed to try to achieve equity in health care in India. The implementation of these principles with strengthened public health and primary-care services will help to ensure a more equitable health care for India's population. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Applying an equity lens to child health and mortality: more of the same is not enough.

Mariam Claeson, Cesar Victora, Davidson Gwatkin … (2003)

Gaps in child mortality between rich and poor countries are unacceptably wide and in some areas are becoming wider, as are the gaps between wealthy and poor children within most countries. Poor children are more likely than their better-off peers to be exposed to health risks, and they have less resistance to disease because of undernutrition and other hazards typical in poor communities. These inequities are compounded by reduced access to preventive and curative interventions. Even public subsidies for health frequently benefit rich people more than poor people. Experience and evidence about how to reach poor populations are growing, albeit largely through small-scale case studies. Successful approaches include those that improve geographic access to health interventions in poor communities, subsidized health care and health inputs, and social marketing. Targeting of health interventions to poor people and ensuring universal coverage are promising approaches for improvement of equity, but both have limitations that necessitate planning for child survival and effective delivery at national level and below. Regular monitoring of inequities and use of the resulting information for education, advocacy, and increased accountability among the general public and decision makers is urgently needed, but will not be sufficient. Equity must be a priority in the design of child survival interventions and delivery strategies, and mechanisms to ensure accountability at national and international levels must be developed.

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Author and article information

Journal

Title: Contemporary Voice of Dalit

Abbreviated Title: Contemporary Voice of Dalit

Publisher: SAGE Publications

ISSN (Print): 2455-328X

ISSN (Electronic): 2456-0502

Publication date Created: May 2017

Publication date (Electronic): April 26 2017

Publication date (Print): May 2017

Volume: 9

Issue: 1

Pages: 87-100

Affiliations

[1 ] Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

[2 ] Ph.D. Student, International Institute for Population Sciences, Govandi Station Road, Deonar, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Article

DOI: 10.1177/2455328X17690644

SO-VID: 7093640d-759f-40b7-a43c-3b90f7a99d9b

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http://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license

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