ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Articles by Aditi PriyaSubscribe to Aditi Priya

Understanding High Mortality among Private Facility Births in Rural Uttar Pradesh

In the last 15 years, there has been a large increase in facility births and a large decline in home births across India. In Uttar Pradesh, increases in facility birth have led to puzzlingly little decline in neonatal mortality. This paper investigates the role of private facilities in providing care at birth to rural residents of UP. Approximately one in five births of rural UP residents takes place in a private facility. These births experience a stunningly high neonatal mortality rate of 53 deaths per 1,000, compared to 32 among births in public facilities, and 40 among home births. This research seeks to understand why mortality rates are higher in private facilities than public facilities.

Birth Pangs

In June 2018, a small survey of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in two blocks of Jharkhand—Manika in Latehar district and Khunti in Khunti district—examined the status of the scheme and the problems faced by women at the time of pregnancy and delivery, such as health expenditure, inadequate nutrition, and loss of income. The findings call for better implementation of the scheme, as well as make a case for maternity benefits to be raised to a minimum of ₹6,000 per child for all pregnancies and not just for the first living child.

Our Essential Workers Need Essential Care

Through personal interviews of healthcare workers in India, the state of front-line workers in dealing with Covid-19 in the country is discussed. Lack of personal protective equipment and beds as well as the caste system that operates when it comes to doing cleaning work in the hospitals aggravates the already debilitating condition of healthcare personnel. Despite being the most important stakeholders of health in rural areas, the accredited social health activists are leading a life full of struggles.

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