Health of the Urban Poor in Maharashtra – Key Results from the National Family Health Survey, 2005. (pdf, full-text)
Description: Maharashtra is the second most urbanized state in India. It has an urban population of 4.1 crore comprising 42.4% of the state’s population which is expected to be double by the year 2026. It is estimated that 1.46 crore persons comprising 32.2 % of the urban population of the state live below the poverty line. Maharashtra has the highest urban poor population in India and is rapidly growing. The urban poor rarely benefit from the facilities in urban areas and are as deprived as those in the rural areas. The health of the slum communities is considerably worse off than the non poor in urban areas and is comparable to the rural figures.
This wall chart presents health of the urban poor in Maharashtra compared with other population groups based on an analysis of the Third National Family Health Survey conducted in 2005-06. A wealth index which measures the economic status of households has been developed based on 33 assets and household characteristics. The bottom quartile in urban areas is taken as the representative of the urban poor.
