A Sociological Study Of Child Health Care Practices With Reference To Nanded District Of Maharashtra

Abstract

The present study A sociological study of child health care practices with reference to Nanded district of Maharashtra is conducted at Pediatric outpatient department of Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Govt. Medical College, Nanded for a period of 04 years from July 2013 to June 2017. The objectives were to explore determinants, identify belief systems, success of Government policies and programs related to child health care practices and causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. newlineINTRODUCTION newlineChildren are the future, ensuring their optimum growth and development should be a prime concern of all societies. Newborns and children are particularly susceptible to malnutrition and infectious diseases, many of which can be effectively prevented or treated. newlineChildren cannot achieve optimum health alone. They are dependent on adults in their families and community to provide them an environment in which they can learn and grow successfully. Health status of mother during and even before pregnancy affects the health and well-being of a child. Thus, achieving optimum child health is dependent upon optimizing the health and well-being of the mother. Child health is foundation to adult health. As child health indicators are indirect measures of the health of communities, state as well as our nation. newlineSocial determinants of health are defined as the impacts of conditions/ factors in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. newlineLee Jong-wook, Director General of WHO in 2004 at World Health Assembly at Commission on Social Determinants of Health as a most important component of his agenda on equity in health care. He stressed that global investments in health are increasing but interventions at reductions in diseases and saving lives succeed only when the social determinants of health are adequately taken care of. newline2 newlineConsidering the role of socio economic factors, in spite of increasing yearly budget and improvement in health system, it is obvious that there are many factors apart from health system and mere availability of servic