‘HEALTH CARE EQUITY IN URBAN INDIA’

According to a recent report, life expectancy among the poorest is lower by 9.1 years and 6.2 years among men and women, respectively, compared to the richest in urban areas.

Important points:

• The report explores health vulnerabilities and inequalities in cities in India.
• It also looks at the availability, accessibility and cost of healthcare facilities, and possibilities in future-proofing services in the next decade.
• It was released recently by Azim Premji University in collaboration with 17 regional NGOs across India.
• A third of India’s people now live in urban areas, with this segment seeing a rapid growth from about 18% (1960) to 34% (in 2019).
• Close to 30% of people living in urban areas are poor.
• The report, besides finding disproportionate disease burden on the poor, also pointed to a chaotic urban health governance, where the multiplicity of healthcare providers both within and outside the government without coordination are challenges to urban health governance.
• A heavy financial burden on the poor, and less investment in healthcare by urban local bodies is also a major challenge.
• Strengthen community participation and governance.
• Build a comprehensive and dynamic database on the health and nutrition status, including co-morbidities of the diverse, vulnerable populations; strengthening healthcare provisioning through the National Urban Health Mission especially for primary healthcare services.
• Put in place policy measures to reduce the financial burden of the poor.
• A better mechanism for coordinated public healthcare services and better governed private healthcare institutions.
• The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to attention the need for a robust and resourced healthcare system. Addressing this now will benefit the most vulnerable and offer critical services to city dwellers across income groups.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT