Healthcare equity in urban India was released by Azim Premji University in collaboration with 17 regional NGOs across India.
Findings
Urban Health Governance: Besides disproportionate disease burden on the poor, there is chaotic urban health governance - the multiplicity of healthcare providers both within and outside the Government without coordination are challenges to urban health governance.
Financial Burden: There is a heavy financial burden on the poor and less investment in healthcare by urban local bodies.
Possibilities and Prospects
Strengthening community participation and governance.
Building a comprehensive and dynamic database on the health and nutrition status, including comorbidities of the diverse, vulnerable populations.
Strengthening healthcare provisioning through the National Urban Health Mission, especially for primary healthcare services; and putting in place policy measures to reduce the financial burden of the poor.
Better mechanism for coordinated public healthcare services and better governed private healthcare institutions as urbanisation is happening rapidly, the number of the urban poor is only expected to increase.
