2011 Abstract Volume - World Water Week

The Dynamics of Household Environment and Its Influence onChild Health among Urban Poor in IndiaAuthor:Co-Author:Keywords:Dr. Chander Shekar, International Institute for Population Sciences, IndiaMr. Mahesh Singh, International Institute for Population Sciences, Indiaslum, diarrhoea, acute respiratory infection, drinking water quality, toilet facilityIntroduction/Problem IdentificationMillennium Development Goals cannot be achieved without taking into account the health of urbanpoor in India. Among urban poor, slum dwellers are the most vulnerable as they face several healthrisks due to absence of basic amenities, unhygienic living conditions and filthy environment.Analysis/Results and Implications for Policy and/or ResearchAs a result, especially children under age five are exposed to diseases like Diarrhoea, Pneumonia andAcute Respiratory Infections (ARIs), which are major killer among them. First time in India, theNational Family Health Survey (2005-06) provides the individual and household level informationon living conditions, household environment and children’s health status of urban slum dwellers livingin eight cities of India. Apart from five mega cities namely Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata andMumbai, the data on slum and non-slum are available for three million-plus cities Nagpur, Indoreand Meerut. A sample of 2803 children under age five years from slum area is analysed in this paper.Both bivariate and multivariate analyses are carried out in the present study. The study reveals thatchildren from households not having any separate room for cooking are 1.5 times more likely to getacute respiratory infections. Type of toilet facility and drinking water quality and child’s feces doaffect the prevalence of diarrhoea significantly. Poor toilet facility coupled with unsafe with drinkingwater raise the odds for children suffering from diarrhoea. Household crowding does not make anysignificant to the prevalence of diarrhoea and ARIs. By socio-cultural and economic background,children from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are more likely to suffer from any of the diseases.The study recommends that shortly expected National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), promisedby Congress led new UPA government, should have provisions for sanitation and hygiene along withimproved primary healthcare infrastructure.38 Workshop 1: Cities in a 3-D Landscape Perspective – Hidden Risks