Understanding of Maternal Health Status in Different Social Groups in India Using NFHS Data.

Maternal health is a major public health concern in India. MMR of India has declined significantly but maternal health status has not much improved. The prevalence of anemia and low Body Mass Index (BMI) is more severe among the women belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories. In this paper, attempts have been made to examine the maternal health status and to identify the factors responsible for poor health status among SC and ST women. The study is purely based on secondary data taken from latest 3 rounds of NFHS (2005-6, 2015-16 & 2019-21). Multivariate analysis have been carried out using panel regression model to understand the impact of determinants on maternal healthcare. The study found that the SC and ST women are more prone to anemia than others (GENERAL category women). Maternal health status is mostly controlled by per capita health expenditure and health infrastructure variables like no. of hospitals and nurses, irrespective of social class. Thus poor maternal health status in India, especially among socially disadvantaged groups of society, have been major concern. The government should be more focused on existing policies related to maternal healthcare.

The Patient Population at Homeopathic Outpatient Clinics across India: A Clinical Data Collection Study.

BACKGROUND: Even though several initiatives have been undertaken in different locations worldwide to collect clinical data in homeopathy, it is important to further investigate these aspects in the context of health care in India. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to gather and analyze patients' clinical data and to derive insights into homeopathic treatment using an internet-based software program for data storage, retrieval and repertorization. METHODS: A multi-center observational study was conducted across 14 homeopathy outpatient clinics in India that are affiliated with the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH). Patient symptoms and demographic details were documented anonymously, and prescriptions were guided by repertorial suggestions from the Vithoulkas Compass software. During follow-up visits, treatment outcome was also recorded using an online assessment form. A retrospective analysis of data on patients' demographics, follow-up visits, morbidity (International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision), rubrics used, prescribed medicines and the level of improvement was achieved using Microsoft Excel-generated pivot tables. RESULTS: Throughout the study duration of one year a total of 2,811 patients attended the 14 outpatient clinics, of whom 2,468 were new patients with a total of 2,172 initial homeopathic prescription entries. Across the study, there were 3,491 prescriptions and 1,628 follow-up consultations for 868 follow-up patients, all of which data were thoroughly analyzed. The highest frequency of patients was in the 20-49 age group, and a higher proportion of the patients overall was female. Musculoskeletal, dermatological and respiratory complaints were the most frequently reported. The rubrics "Desire for sweets" and "Desire for spices" emerged as the most commonly used in the repertorizations. Further, Sulphur stood out as the most commonly prescribed medicine overall. With homeopathic treatment, some degree of clinical improvement was reported in 86% of the follow-up cases. CONCLUSION: Homeopathy is prescribed in CCRH outpatient clinics for a wide range of ailments in people across India, with at least some clinical improvement noted in a high proportion of those patients. The large-scale systematic data collection in these clinics has provided clear insights into the use and clinical value of homeopathy in India, with the potential to build a substantive nationwide data inventory over time.

"We'll starve to death": The consequences of COVID-19 over the lives of poor people with disabilities in rural Nepal.

There is no doubt that the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted billions of people worldwide, and among them, people with disabilities became most susceptible. However, little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of people with disabilities in Nepal. Using empirical data from semi-structured in-depth interviews with people with disabilities, disability specialist, and community leaders, this study discusses the lived experiences of people with disabilities who have been affected by COVID-19 in Nepal. This study revealed that the outbreak of COVID-19 impacted people with disabilities by worsening their vulnerability. In particular, the majority of people with disabilities became further isolated, were disconnected from existing services such as access to information, education, and health care and many lost their income opportunities. Findings from this study further show that this pandemic affected the rights of people with disabilities guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Immediate financial and non-financial support for people with disabilities from government and other stakeholders, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is needed, indicating the need for policymakers to reassess policies to ensure that they adequately protect the rights of people with disabilities.