A study to explore the determinants of child health in Melghat, Maharashtra
Journal Title: THE HEALTH AGENDA - Year 2013, Vol 1, Issue 2
Abstract
Background: Melghat is the hilly forest region of 312 small villages, known as one of the most underdeveloped regions in Maharashtra. The employment in Melghat is exploitative, enslaving and gender discriminatory. An estimated 5,000 tribal children died of malnutrition in Melghat in 92-97. Objectives: To find out situation of child mortality in Melghat and investigate any under reporting, and explore determinants of child health qualitatively. Material and Methods: The study was conducted in five PHC areas of Melghat area namely Sadrawadi, Bairagad, Dulghat Rly, Tembursonda and Hatru. Data on vital statistics was collected for April-July 2008 and corresponding period for year 2007. Line listing of all child deaths occurring during the period was done to find any under reporting. Verbal and social autopsy of deaths was done including social autopsy in one PHC village to find out underlying factors responsible for such deaths. Data was analysed using ATLAS. ti 5.5 and ANTHROPAC 4.98 to form matrix of socio-cultural-economic factors. Results: A total of 73 U6 deaths and 911 live births were reported from the study area. Thus the U6MR for the area is 80.1 for this period compared to 66.9 for corresponding period of previous year. Therefore, according to the vital statistics, U6MR in Melghat was not higher compared to other parts of the country, if under reporting is not there. Further, neonatal deaths accounted only 39.7% of U6MR. Improper childrearing practices, poor diet intake by pregnant women, early marriages, poor spacing of children, lack of health education and awareness, adequate income and purchasing power reasons for the precarious state of child health. Conclusions: Increasing awareness regarding govt. policies such as NREGA and JSY alongwith an effort to popularize the public infrastructure and harping at the cycle of poverty-illiteracy-lack of information will accelerate development in ghat area.
Authors and Affiliations
Shib Datta
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP120245
- DOI -
- Views 102
- Downloads 0
Perceptions and practices of traditional birth attendants in a tribal area of Maharashtra: A qualitative study
Background: Even with enhanced efforts to increase institutional births in India, an alarming number of deliveries are still being carried out at homes. Most of these home deliveries are carried out by traditional birth...
Clinical and electrophysiological evaluation of carpel tunnel syndrome in diabetes mellitus to assess association of age, gender and duration of diabetes on median neuropathy at wrist
Context: CTS is commonest entrapment neuropathy in upper limbs. Prevalence of median neuropathy at wrist in diabetes mellitus (DM) is affected by certain non-modifiable risk factors like age, sex, duration of diabe...
Knowledge, attitude and preventive practices of South Indian women towards breast cancer
Background: Indian women typically present late at advanced stages of breast cancer when little or no benefit can be derived from any form of therapy. Recent global cancer statistics indicate that incidence of breast can...
Status of institutional delivery in the state of Odisha: Challenges and opportunities
Maternal health is an area of prime concern in India. National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has fast forwarded the progress in improving maternal health through initiatives like promoting institutional deliveries and impr...
Sexual abuse in women and Anti Rape bill: Lesson to learn from success and failure
The recent rape case was an eye opener for whole world specially India. Of late, we have psychiatrically assessed 3 rape cases in Wardha District and assisted the police department for charging the accused. This made us...