Reading Caste Based Changes in Child Health Outcomes in India from an Equity Perspective

ABINASH JENA
Udaya Shankar Mishra, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum

Periodic surveys like the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) are essential for tracking maternal and child health outcomes across different social groups in India. While progress in health indicators may align with Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), improvements are not uniformly shared among all social groups, potentially compromising equity. For example, if Scheduled Tribes (ST) were the worst-off group in one survey but show improvement in the next round, yet Scheduled Castes (SC) outperform them, the progress may not be equitable. This study examines changes in maternal and child health indicators between NFHS Round 4 (2015-16) and Round 5 (2019-21) through an equity lens, focusing on three criteria: Focus, Inclusion, and Narrowing Gaps. Focus assesses absolute improvements for the most vulnerable groups, Inclusion ensures all groups improve without decline, and Narrowing Gaps evaluates reductions in disparities between the worst-off and best-off groups. The results indicate that while indicators generally meet Inclusion and Narrowing criteria, they fall short on Focus-based equity, highlighting the need for targeted interventions for the most disadvantaged populations.

Keywords: Children, Adolescents, and Youth, The Demography of Indigenous Populations, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Health and Morbidity

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