Promoting Right to Health

1. Promoting Right to Health Dr V Rukmini Rao

2. Current Status • The health of Indian Women is linked to their status in society • There is a strong son preference • High dowry cost for daughters • Women have little autonomy and decision-making over health related decisions • Poor health results in inadequate child care and affects economic well being of the household

3. Women’s Health determined by Fertility to a great extent • High levels of infant mortality combined with the strong son preference motivate women to bear high numbers of children • Numerous pregnancies and closely spaced births result in premature births, low birth weight babies, and also increase the health risk for mothers

4. Knowledge of Family Planning • While knowledge is universal, only 36% of married women aged 13 to 49 currently use modern contraceptives • Place of residence, education and religion are strongly related to both fertility and contraceptive use • Fertility rates for highly literate women are 2.2 children while for non literates it is 4

5. Knowledge of Family Planning • 20% of married women in India either want to delay their next birth or have no more children, they are not able to space their pregnancies • Government programmes push female sterilization – 67%

6. Maternal Mortality Rate • MMR 2004 – 2006 is 303 in Orissa compared to 254 in India • Developed countries – 4 to 7 • These are preventable deaths • Main cause lack of access to health care • 37% of all pregnant women receive no prenatal care

7. Maternal Mortality Rate • 50% of Illiterate women received no care compared to 13% of literate women • Women in rural areas less likely to receive care – 42% • Urban women – 18% • Need to educate women about the importance of health care for safe child births

8. NFHS Data – Child Births • Three quarters of all births took place at home • 2/3rds of all births were not attended by trained medical person

9. Maternal Deaths related to easily treated problem • One in five maternal deaths can be treated easily • Anemia can be inexpensively treated by iron tablets • 50 to 90% all pregnant women suffer from anemia • Sever anemia accounts for 20% of all maternal deaths

10. Violence Against Women is a Health Problem • Estimates for dowry deaths are 25,000 a year • Increase in reported level of crimes • Much of violence is faced at home • Rapes go unreported • 30% of all reported rapes happen to girls who were aged 16 and younger • Reported number of incidents of torture increased dramatically

11. Alcoholism • Alcoholism is associated with increase in violence against women • Alcoholism socially accepted among adivasi community

12. Malnutrition • Malnutrition is a serious problem among Indian women • This is made worse by heavy work demands, child bearing and rearing • Increased susceptibility to illness and consequent higher mortality • More than 53% of all girls and boys under 4 years were malnourished - 1996

13. HIV/AIDS • HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading rapidly and will increasing affect women’s health

14. Action Steps • Basis of good health is good food • Ensure household food security • Community grain banks • Access to government schemes • Access to PDS, organizing to monitor • Access to NREGA • Access to ICDS services

15. Action Steps • Organize at district and state level to access and improve services • Self Help Groups to initiate health care mechanisms