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Reviewing Reproductive and Child Health Programmes in India
Authors: K SRINIVASAN, CHANDER SHEKHAR, P AROKIASAMY
Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Economic and Political Weekly, July 14, 2007
Topic(s): Child health
Health care utilization
Reproductive health
Country: Asia
  India
Published: JUL 2007
Abstract: Since the early 1990s, “decentralisation” and “integration” seem to be the buzz words underlying the implementation of various social development programmes in India, especially the reproductive and child health programme. Analysis reveals that the state-level effects of various RCH services are significantly higher than those at the district level. The pace of annual progress after 1998 in many RCH indicators is slower than before and a few indicators (e g, child-immunisation) have worsened, despite the expenditure on the programme being doubled. Decentralisation and integration of basic healthcare services may not be effective unless monitored centrally and backed by full time health (medical/paramedical) professionals at the delivery level.
Web: http://www.epw.org.in/epw/uploads/articles/10810.pdf