Background

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Common Health Hazards Threatening Children in India

The most common health problems facing children in India are:

  1. Malnutrition

  2. Low birth weight

  3. Diarrhea 

  4. Infections

  5. Parasitosis

  6. Accidents and poisoning


Current Status of Access to Healthcare in India

India is listed in the countries where malnutrition and child mortality is frighteningly high. The under-five mortality rate is 39 deaths per 1000 live births. 

19.8 million children below the age of 6 in India are undernourished (ICDS 2015). 38% of children between 0-5 years are stunted (NFHS 4, 2015-16) and 21% suffer from wasting (NFHS 4, 2015-16). India accounts for almost 43 percent underweight children in the world and the number of under-5 mortality rate and infant mortality rates are 49 and 42, respectively.

One of the most significant challenges faced by the healthcare industry in India is the lack of access to basic healthcare to children from the Economically Weaker Sections of society. This problem is compounded by the poor quality of public healthcare facilities.