Azim Premji University unveils 'Health Care Equity in Urban India' report

Azim Premji University, in collaboration with 17 regional NGOs across India, launched the 'Health Care Equity in Urban India' report, a compendium of learnings that unpack health vulnerabilities and inequalities in cities in India.

The report explores the understanding of health vulnerabilities of urban poor, availability, accessibility and cost of healthcare facilities and possibilities in future-proofing services in the next decade. It draws insight from data collected through detailed interactions with civil society organisations in cities and towns across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Surat, Lucknow, Guwahati, Ranchi, and Delhi. This also included analysis of National Family and Health Surveys (NHFS), Census of India and inputs from state-level health officials on the provision of health care.  

The report finds that there are critical factors that disrupt quality healthcare services to the poor. These are:

• Disproportionate disease burden on the poor
• Chaotic urban health governance
• The financial burden on the poor
• Urban local bodies are less invested in healthcare

The report calls for:

• Strengthening community participation and governance
• Building a comprehensive and dynamic database on the health and nutrition status, including co-morbidities of the diverse, vulnerable populations 
• Strengthening healthcare provisioning through the National Urban Health Mission, especially for primary health care services and
• Putting in place policy measures to reduce the financial burden of the poor, better mechanism for coordinated public health care services and better governed private healthcare institutions.