Status of Child Health in India: A State Level Analysis

Abstract

Health is the state of physical, mental and social well-being and does not only mean an absence of illness or disease. Child health is a multi-dimensional issue. In this paper, health status of children is analyzed using several dimensions and indicators to investigate the intensity and inequality which exists across the states in India taking resort to NFHS 3rd and 4th round data and have found that the infant mortality rate, under five mortality rate and malnourished children have significantly decreased overtime. Infant vaccination program, Vitamin A supplement program, maternity care, childhood treatment disease, women literacy rate and maternity care significantly reduces infant mortality rate whereas underage pregnant women do positively and significantly affect the infant mortality rate. In 2015-16, the top five states having the highest percent were Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh while Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram had the lowest percent of child mortality and malnourishment.