Quality of maternal and child health: fresh evidence from India
International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare
ISSN: 2056-4902
Article publication date: 16 July 2019
Issue publication date: 19 July 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the regional variations in maternal and child health all over India. The Maternal and Child Health Index (MCHI) is constructed to find the extent of variations in maternal and child health status for the States and Union Territories (UTs) of India.
Design/methodology/approach
The Wroclow taxonomic technique was used to construct the MCHI for the States and UTs of India. In all, 29 variables were selected for the construction of MCHI. All the variables were taken from National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS, 2017) of India.
Findings
The findings suggest that there are wide variations in MCHI all over India. In India, Kerala topped in terms of MCHI followed by Jammu & Kashmir. Nagaland is on the bottom of the list followed by Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. High values of MCHI (> 0.4) are posing a serious concern for all States/UTs in India.
Social implications
The existence of inequality in MCHI for India is truly posing a serious inquiry regarding the healthcare system in India. The outcome of the study demands that time has come to adopt a human rights approach to the right to health in India. The findings of the study could be used by the health policy makers in India.
Originality/value
This study shows the existence of wide variations in the quality of maternal and child health all over India. The quantification of the quality of maternal and child health is needed to improve the health of the population in India. Little research has been done on the issue of quality of maternal and child health in India. This study is an important contribution to the current knowledge of quality of maternal and child health in India.
Keywords
Citation
Kumar, N. and Rani, R. (2019), "Quality of maternal and child health: fresh evidence from India", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 299-314. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-01-2019-0010
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited