3 Review(s)

The Government of India’s ‘Health for All’ and ‘National Rural Health Mission’ (NRHM) programmes are efforts to brandish India’s recent progress in the health sector. In reality, the country's health indicators are a lot less flattering. India spends far too little on health—only 1.87 per cent of its GDP, a figure low even in comparison to other emerging economies. What’s worse, fifty per cent of elected panchayat women representatives from 20 states are not even aware of the important features of NRHM. Secondly, panchayats play a minimal role in formulating the overall health plans and women members of panchayats know very little about the activities of the Standing Committee on Health, Sanitation and Nutrition which is a critical aspect of the NRHM. This volume, Panchayats, Women and Health for All, addresses problems such as what ails our Panchayati Raj System and how alternative health systems, especially those focused on prevention, can have a local impact. It also documents the activities of some extraordinary elected women panchayat leaders who are working overtime to improve the life of our rural population against all odds. This volume will serve as a source material on health and local governance for students, researchers, and policy makers.