Child Health Outcomes in Bihar and West Bengal: A Comparative Demographic Analysis between selected EAG and Non-EAG States

1. Child Health Outcomes in Bihar and
West Bengal: A Comparative
Demographic Analysis between
selected EAG and Non-EAG States.

2. Introduction:
 India, with 1.21 billion of population is the world’s second most populous country
after China. An estimated 26 millions of children are born every year. Children of
today are tomorrow’s citizen, thus it is extremely important to ensure good health for
children. Child health plays a vital role in the development of a country.
 India has taken several steps to reduce child and infant mortality over last 30 years. In
year1978, a national goal of an infant mortality rate (IMR hereafter) of 60 was targeted
by the year 2000.

4.  Mainly the health condition of child and the malnutrition are causes for stunted,
wasted, underweight. According to the Rapid survey on children 2013-2014 hear
presenting State wise Comparison of Child Health in India.
Series1, Andhra
Pradesh, 35.4
Series1, Assam,
40.6
Series1, Bihar, 49.4
Series1, Gujarat,
41.6
Series1, Haryana,
36.5
Series1, Karnataka,
34.2
Series1, Kerala ,
19.4
Series1, Madhya
Pradesh, 41.5Series1,
Maharashtra , 35.4
Series1, Orissa ,
38.2Series1, Punjab ,
30.5
Series1, Rajasthan,
36.4
Series1, Tamil
Nadu, 23.3
Series1, Uttar
Pradesh, 50.4
Series1, West
Bengal, 34.7
percentageofstunted
people
Name of the state
Stunted in different states
Series1, Andhra
Pradesh, 12
Series1, Assam,
21
Series1, Bihar,
26.1
Series1, Gujarat,
18.3
Series1, Haryana,
19.3Series1,
Karnataka, 15.1
Series1, Kerala , 8
Series1, Madhya
Pradesh, 18.5
Series1,
Maharashtra , 10
Series1, Orissa ,
15.5
Series1, Punjab ,
13.1
Series1, Rajasthan,
17.3
Series1, Tamil
Nadu, 9.3
Series1, Uttar
Pradesh, 28.4
Series1, West
Bengal, 12.8
percentageofseverelystunted
people
Name of the state
Severely Stunted in different states
Series1, Andhra
Pradesh, 19
Series1, Assam,
9.7
Series1, Bihar,
13.1
Series1, Gujarat,
18.7
Series1, Haryana,
8.8
Series1,
Karnataka, 17
Series1, Kerala ,
15.5
Series1, Madhya
Pradesh, 17.5
Series1,
Maharashtra , 18.6
Series1, Orissa ,
18.3
Series1, Punjab ,
8.7
Series1, Rajasthan,
14.1
Series1, Tamil
Nadu, 19
Series1, Uttar
Pradesh, 10
Series1, West
Bengal, 15.3
percentageofwastedpeople
Name of the state
Wasted in different states

5. Series1, Andhra
Pradesh, 22.3
Series1, Assam,
22.2
Series1, Bihar, 37.1Series1, Gujarat,
33.6
Series1, Haryana,
22.7
Series1, Karnataka,
28.9
Series1, Kerala ,
18.5
Series1, Madhya
Pradesh, 36.1
Series1,
Maharashtra , 25.2
Series1, Orissa ,
34.4
Series1, Punjab ,
16
Series1, Rajasthan,
31.5
Series1, Tamil
Nadu, 23.3
Series1, Utt
Pradesh, 34Series1, We
Bengal, 30
percentageofunderweight
Name of the state
Under weight in different states
Series1, Andhra
Pradesh, 4.7
Series1, Assam, 7
Series1, Bihar, 14.7
Series1, Gujarat,
10.1
Series1, Haryana,
7.5
Series1, Karnataka,
9.8
Series1, Kerala ,
5.7
Series1, Madhya
Pradesh, 12
Series1,
Maharashtra , 5.7
Series1, Orissa ,
11
Series1, Punjab ,
4.3
Series1, Rajasthan,
11.2
Series1, Tamil
Nadu, 6.1
Series1, Uttar
Pradesh, 12.9
Series1, West
Bengal, 8.9
percentageofseverelyunder
weight
Name of the state
Severely Under weightin different states
Series1, Andhra
Pradesh, 6
Series1, Assam,
2.7
Series1, Bihar, 3.9
Series1, Gujarat,
6.7
Series1, Haryana,
2.7
Series1,
Karnataka, 6.3Series1, Kerala ,
5.4
Series1, Madhya
Pradesh, 5.4
Series1,
Maharashtra , 6.3
Series1, Orissa ,
4.9
Series1, Punjab ,
3.2
Series1, Rajasthan,
2.9
Series1, Tamil
Nadu, 6.3
Series1, Uttar
Pradesh, 2.9
Series1, West
Bengal, 3.9
percentageofseverelywasted
Name of the state
Severely Wastedin different states

6. Objective:
 To assess the child health situation in India and the special
reference to Bihar and West Bengal as an EAG and Non-
EAG state respectively.

7. Study area:
We assess the child health situation in the special
reference to Bihar and West Bengal as an EAG and
Non-EAG states as a comparative study.

8. Materials and Method:
The study adopted narrative description in which the NFHS fact
sheets of both these states were obtained from appropriate sources.
The secondary data were compared each other National Family
Health Survey(NFHS-2, 1998-99), NFHS-3(2005-06), NFHS-
4(2015-16)for various child health indicators in both these state.
And the International Comparison of Child Health data of India is
collected from Rapid survey on children, 2013-2014. We make a
relation between literacy rate and infant mortality rate of district
wise data in Bihar and West Bengal respectively. For the
comparison of child health situation comparative analysis
percentage distribution tables were plotted. On the basis of IMR and
CMR data of Bihar and West Bengal we make a bar graph for
compare between two states. Also prepare a map on the basis of
district wise Infant Mortality rate of Bihar and West Bengal. And
prepare a child mortality map of Bihar.

9. Results & Analysis:
Child health is a major component for the development concern in
most of the poor communities leading to high morbidity and mortality. The
present paper made an attempt to study the child health situation related to
the nutrition and survival. Nutrition is the basic element of healthy life. The
study is based on secondary data. All the data collecting from NFHS report
of West Bengal and Bihar. The plotted percentage distribution tables and
the diagram are follows.

10. Maternity care

11. Literacy rates of West Bengal and Bihar
Particulars NFHS-3 (2005-06) NFHS-4(2015-16)
West Bengal Bihar West Bengal Bihar
Women who are literate
(%)
58.8 37.0 70.9 70.6
Men who are literate (%) 73.9 70.4 81.1 88.8
Women with 10 or more
years of schooling (%)
15.7 13.2 26.5 44.3

13. Add a Slide Title
- 5
 Child mortality rate of West Bengal and Bihar (1991-2012)
y = -1.3433x + 23.15
R² = 0.9623
y = -1.3433x + 23.15
R² = 0.9623
y = -1.24x + 16.422
R² = 0.6252
y = -1.24x + 16.422
R² = 0.6252
Childmortalityrate
Year
BIHAR
WEST BENGAL

14. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):
y = -1.598x + 51.029
R² = 0.9354
y = -1.598x + 51.029
R² = 0.9354
y = -1.6887x + 67.669
R² = 0.9117
y = -1.6887x + 67.669
R² = 0.9117
Infantmortalityrate
year
West Bengal
Bihar

16. Child Immunizations and Vitamin A Supplementation

17. Treatment of Childhood Diseases

18. Findings:
• From the state wise comparison of child health data we can get the information about state wise Stunted, Severely
Stunted, Wasted, Severely Wasted, Underweight, Severely Under weight.
•In the case of maternity care, the condition of Bihar is poor. Bihar is fall behind the West Bengal. Government
should trey for increasing the maternity care for better child health situation.
•Child mortality rate is also high in Bihar. But this rate is also reducing from the past situation of Bihar. The infant
mortality rate is also high. The high child mortality infant indicates the poor health situation. For better life of people
the central government and also the state government should take some positive stapes.
• After the comparison of selected EAG and Non-EAG states Bihar and West Bengal, the situation of infant mortality
rate is very high in Bihar.
• Bihar have the rate of Child Immunizations and Vitamin A Supplementation is comparatively low than the other
state of India. On the basis of NFHS survey in all over the state the low percentage of children are gating the
treatment on time. After all the study we can easily say that the child health condition of Bihar is so poor.
• In the present time the literacy rate of Bihar is increasing. And it’s a positive indicator for development of child
health and the other field.
• After the regression analysis we can see that the relation of literacy rate and infant mortality rate. With the
increasing literacy rate decrease the infant mortality rate.
• According to the survey in Bihar the percentage of children who get treatment from health centre is less than the
West Bengal. It indicates the poor health condition of Bihar as an EAG state.

19.  Recommendation:
So the recommendations are-
•At first Government should take stapes for increasing the literacy rate.
•Increasing work participation rate.
•Establishing new health centre.
•Developed the socio economic status.
•Advance medicines.
•Developed the maternity care.
After all the study we make some recommendation for development of child
health condition of Bihar. We all know that the health condition is interrelated
with the education and also the socio economic status.

20. Conclusion:
Given the status of child health in India and more
especially in EAG states improvement in the
performance of child health related activities is highly
necessary. The improvement is required in all aspects of
child health, maternity care, child birth and post partum
care. Health system strengthening coupled with strong
political will and community mobilization are some of
the urgent strategies required in states like Bihar and
West Bengal. As per various reports the median age at
marriage in Bihar and West Bengal is below the legal age
at marriage in India which leads to early child birth
resulting in various child and maternal health
complications. Above all community awareness has a
greater role in improving the health status in these two
states besides other efforts.