Ram B. BhagatInternational Institute for Population

Sciences, Mumbai-88

E-mail :rbbhagat@iips.net

Urbanisation and Children's Health in India:

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Presentation for the Conference titled “ Rethinking Urbanisation and Equity in Asia: Harnessing the Potential of Urban Living for Children”, held at IDS Sussex, 9-10th June, 2014.

Session A2: Health and Nutrition Presentation: 2

Outline

Trend and pattern of urbanisation

Access to basic Amenities in urban area

Children’s health status in urban area

Urbanisation and health policy issues

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Census year

Urban population(in million)

Per cent urban

Annual exponential

urban growth rate (%)

1961 78.94 17.97 -1971 109.11 19.91 3.23 1981 159.46 23.34 3.79 1991 217.18 25.72 3.09 2001 286.12 27.86 2.75 2011 377.10 31.16 2.76

Notes: As the 1981 Census was not conducted in Assam, and 1991 Census was not held in Jammu and Kashmir, the population of India includes their projected figures. Source: Census of India -respective censuses (www.censusindia.gov.in).

Trends in Urbanisation in India,1961-2011

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Decade Rural Urban

Urban-Rural Growth Differentials

Speed of Urbanisation (%)

1971-81 1.76 3.79 2.03 1.721981-91 1.80 3.09 1.29 1.011991-2001

1.69 2.75 1.06 0.83

2001-2011

1.15 2.76 1.61 1.20

Urban-Rural Growth Differentials, 1971-2011

(annual

exponential growth rate in %)

Components of Urban Growth

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Access to Basic Amenities in Urban Areas, India

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Household Assets and Access to Banking Services, Urban Areas, India, 2011 ( in %).

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Slum Population and Children Living in Slums, 2011( in million)

Note : Every fifth urban resident living in slum

Key Indicators of Children's Health Status

Child Health Rural Urban

IMR (2012) 46 28

Under 5 Mortality (2012) 58 32

Full Immunization Of Children (12-23 months) 2005-06

38.6 57.6

Weight for AgeChildren below 5 years ( % below 2SD)

47.2 37.4

Height for AgeChildren below 5 years ( % below 2SD

43.7 30.1

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Although urban area are better off than rural areas, there is a need to see the influence of the level of urbanisation on the children’s health indicators across states.

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Levels of Urbanisation, India, 2011

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Level of Urbanization and Child Immunization

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Level of Urbanization and Children Under Weight ( Weight for Age- below 2 SD)

Level of Urbanization and Children Stunted (Height for Age- below 2 SD)

Linear Polynomial

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Level of Urbanisation and IMR, 2011, IndiaLinear Polynomial

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Conclusion and Policy Issues

• India’s level of urbanisation is still low and the share of natural increase remains very. Rural to urban migration has very limited role yet one in fifth urban dwellers live in slums.

•Urban areas are marked by huge deprivations of piped drinking water, closed drainage and access to toilet facilities .

•As a result the health status in general and health status of children though better than rural areas, yet remains hugely poor. This shows the quality of India’s urbanisation.

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• In India both urban development and health are state subjects. Yet central government launched flagship programmes like JNNURM ( Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) and NRHM ( National Rural Health Mission).

• It is realised that like NRHM, there is a need of NUHM ( National Urban Health Mission) for the urban areas ( Approved in May 2013by Union Cabinet).

• There is also a greater need to improve access to piped water, drainage and toilet facilities in urban areas. This requires greater impetus on the schemes such as the Basic Services for the Urban Poor component of the JNNURM.

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Thank you for Your Kind Attention!