Coverage gap in maternal and child health services in India: assessing trends and regional deprivation during 1992-2006.
BACKGROUND
Increasing the coverage of key maternal, newborn and child health interventions is essential, if India has to attain Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. This study assesses the coverage gap in maternal and child health services across states in India during 1992-2006 emphasizing the rural-urban disparities. Additionally, association between the coverage gap and under-5 mortality rate across states are illustrated.


METHODS
The three waves of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted during 1992-1993 (NFHS-1), 1998-1999 (NFHS-2) and 2005-2006 (NFHS-3) were used to construct a composite index of coverage gap in four areas of health-care interventions: family planning, maternal and newborn care, immunization and treatment of sick children.


RESULTS
The central, eastern and northeastern regions of India reported a higher coverage gap in maternal and child health care services during 1992-2006, while the rural-urban difference in the coverage gap has increased in Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan and Kerala over the period. The analysis also shows a significant positive relationship between the coverage gap index and under-five mortality rate across states.


CONCLUSIONS
Region or area-specific focus in order to increase the coverage of maternal and child health care services in India should be the priority of the policy-makers and programme executors.
Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India.
Chandan
C
Kumar
Prashant Kumar
PK
Singh
Rajesh Kumar
RK
Rai
D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy
India; NFHS; coverage gap; maternal and child health care; public health