Health and Nutrition: Malnutrition and Anaemia

Abstract

The chapter presents a comparative analysis of mortality status, maternal health, delivery care, child immunization, contraception and contraceptive use, as well as nutritional status among children and reproductive health aspects in the state of Telangana. It is found that the gaps between Muslims and the national averages on majority of the human development indicators have narrowed down. In the undivided Andhra Pradesh, Muslim children reported a low Under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) as compared with the state average. In Telangana state, 28 per cent of Muslim children are underweight as compared to 29 per cent among Hindus. Among Muslims, about 24 per cent of the children of under-5 are stunted and 13 per cent are severely stunted. The maternal and child health indicators show that Muslim minorities are on a par with urban averages in the State in accessing various health services. Muslim women availed a high rate of postnatal care than SCs and other religious groups. Higher utilization of six types of ANC tests by pregnant women of the Muslim community and higher child immunization which was preferred from the government sector among the community indicates better health-seeking behaviour of Muslim, on a par with other religious and caste groups.