Status of maternal and child health in empowered action group of Indian States: A spatio-temporal analysis

The Empowered Action Group (EAG) of States in India includes Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Odisha and Assam. These States are in fact the backward ones in the field of human development in the country. The condition of maternal and child health in these States are extremely poor in comparison to the southern States of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The maternal mortality ratio is high due to the absence of the ante-natal and post-natal care of the mothers. The low institutionalization of child deliveries have resulted into high infant and child mortality rates in these States. The prevalence of female infanticide, under-age marriage and negligence of girl children are frequent phenomenon in the conservative male-dominated societies of these States. The research endeavor tries to throw spotlight on the health conditions of women during and after pregnancy. The maternal health condition invariably affects and controls the health of the neonate before and after birth which has also been considered for study.