Neo Institutional Approach to Understanding Health Governance: Narratives of Menstruating TB Patients in Slums of Mumbai

Shilpika Ghosh, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

The growth of slums and rapid overcrowding is hazardous for vulnerable groups like adolescent girls who face several challenges, especially in managing their menstrual health. Overcrowding in urban slums also results in the growth of communicable diseases like Tuberculosis (TB). In India, women and girls are highly vulnerable to TB. Though both menstruation and TB are a major public health challenge, what remains common as a challenge is the inaccessibility of policies and the fear and stigma associated with these health challenges. To understand the intersection of both menstruation and TB, this research focuses on the lives of adolescent girls in slums of Mumbai, M-East Ward, Govandi using a neo-institutional approach; delving into understanding the interactions between institutions and the target groups involved in health governance. The key findings can be divided into three broad themes: 1. Lived experiences of menstruating TB adolescents which include strong TB medications, added burden of gynaecological problems, sanitation, hygiene and infrastructure problems 2. Health-seeking behaviour and factors highlighting the impact of stigma and biases faced by parents and adolescent girls in the healthcare system 3. Gaps and challenges in the implementation of schemes by institutions catering to the healthcare needs of menstruating TB adolescents.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Population Policies, Qualitative data/methods/approaches

See extended abstract.