Rapid urbanization in India

The UN estimates that nearly 48 % of the world’s population lives in urban areas and the prime locus of this spurt in city dwellers are the developing countries such as India. The poor comprise a large and sizeable proportion of cities and towns of India. Statistics says about one fifth live in slums. Slum residents are especially vulnerable to health risks. Overcrowding and congestion, extremely poor sanitation, lack of civic amenities and deviant behavior are some of the common characteristics of these slums. Improving access of health systems to the urban poor is really a challenge for a number of reasons. Increased focus on rural health and rural poverty in the country itself is a hindrance for scaling up of urban health schemes. Urban Health Resource Centre works closely with the government and other stakeholders for enhanced attention and resources for improving health of the urban poor.

 With the increasing urbanization, growth of slums and low income population in the cities, the provision of assured and credible primary health services of acceptable quality has emerged as priority thrust Earlier this year; the Union Health Ministry announced the launching of ‘Urban Health Mission’. This holds significance as the urban health is disordered and poor have least access to health care and are suffering from malnutrition and infectious disease. Certain approaches like encouraging self help groups, collaboration between NGOs and proper urban health systems have to be given due importance.