National Human Development Report: 2001 - Indira Gandhi Institute ...

NATIONAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2001 HEALTH ATTAINMENTS & DEMOGRAPHIC CONCERNS 65instrumental value in attainment of other valued goals in enhancingpersonal and social well-being.The relationship between health and poverty or health anddevelopment is complex, multi-faceted and multidirectional. Poverty in itsvarious dimensions could be a manifestation, as well as a determinant of anindividual’s health. In its most basic form — as a state of food deprivationand nutritional inadequacy — poverty has a direct bearing on the morbidityand longevity of people. Starvation deaths are a stark example of this reality.Similarly, nutritional deficiencies have been observed to affect physical andmental development of children, impairing health and productivity of work.Data on ‘wasting’ and ‘stunting’ as well on other nutritional deficienciesdisorders such as those related to vitamin-A deficiency (nutritionalblindness), iron deficiency (anaemia), iodine deficiency (goitre) or othermicro nutrient deficiencies capture some of these aspects of poverty-healthlinkages. The other aspects of deprivation such as lack of access to criticalamenities including safe water, sanitation, non-polluting domestic fuels,connectivity to life support services and most importantly to education andgeneral awareness, contribute to reinforcing ill health and morbidity evenleading to higher mortality levels. High child mortality levels on account ofsupervening infections, particularly diarrhoea and respiratory infections, arefairly widespread among people deprived of these basic amenities of life.These commonly seen childhood infections often exacerbatemalnourishment and at the same time prevalence of under nourishment inchildren reinforces the consequences of such infections. Adequate nutritionis thus critical for child health and survival, as well as for overcoming thepotential vicious cycle of poverty and under-nutrition.Attainments on other dimensions of human development, especiallyeducational and economic wellbeing,reinforce the transitiontowards better health and longevity.Better purchasing power through amore equitable distribution ofemployment opportunities andresources can help bring aboutnutritional adequacy and foodsecurity for the poor. This, coupledwith public provisioning of basicamenities including water,sanitation, shelter and access toeducation and life support servicescan ensure significant improvementin health and longevity of thepopulation.Historically, it has beenobserved that in response to socioeconomicdevelopment, high birthand death rates in the early stages ofdevelopment, yield ultimately to lowlevels of births and deaths, therebystabilising the population growth.This has been postulated as thetheory of demographic transition.The Vicious Cycle of Poverty and Under-NutritionImpairedproductivityLowsizeearningcapacitySmallofbodyadultsPovertyStuntedof childrendevelopmentLow intake of foodand nutrientsinfectiondiseases andnutrition relatedincidence ofHighUnder-nutrition