Infant and child mortality estimates and its determining factors for social subgroups: a district level analysis

Shreeparna Ghosh, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

In the present study attempts has been made to study the most sensitive indicator of health i.e infant and child mortality for the social subgroups in India. How these indicators are behaving at district level among three groups that is schedule castes, schedule tribes and non-schedule caste and tribes are very important for policy implications. In this paper we will only concentrate on few states in order to compare the estimates and to understand their leading factors. The data sets used are census 2001 and RHS- RCH-1 (1998-1999). Levels are typically high SCs STs for poorer states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa. Differentials in the estimates from non-SC/ST estimates are typically wider in some districts of Karnataka which is one of the better-off state in terms of health indicators in India. At district level significant influences are shown by development indicators like female literacy, female work participation and immunization.