Delivery of Healthcare Services and Accessibility to Maternal and Child Health Care-A Case Study in Assam

Abstract

One of the recent debates in the health sector is related to maternal and child health. Among the South Asian countries, India has the highest proportion of underweight children and children with nutritional deficiencies. The health outcome indicators like infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate are also one of the highest in India in comparison to major countries of the world. Out of total maternal death in the world one fifth occurs in India alone. Evidences have also shown that the public health care delivery system plays an important role in improving the utilization of maternal and child health care services. Public health care delivery system is at the core of standard of health among rural households. Under the above background, this paper specifically focuses on the state of Assam. The country’s highest child and maternal mortality ratios have been estimated for Assam. The draft National Health Policy 2015 categorizes Assam as a state with ‘greater challenges’ with respect to infant and maternal mortality rates. Therefore, the present paper discusses about role of health care delivery services and the pattern of utilization of maternal and child health services in two district of Assam namely Nagaon and Nalbari.