Database on Health

For long, researchers, policy makers, journalists and activists have been feeling despaired about the non-availability of data on health in India at one place. For such data, they need to refer to numerous government, departmental and other documents. The problem is compounded by the fact that health is a state subject, and hence a lot of data needs to be collated from the documents of the states. In order to encourage research, advocacy and activism in the field of health, CEHAT undertook the task of computerising state-wise time-series data on health indicators, infrastructure, human-power and health financing.

About the Database

Information on various aspects of the health sector in India is spread over numerous sources. The main objective of the database was to bring information of health sector in India together under one umbrella and to use it to promote research and advocacy.

The database provides health sector information for all states in India, from 1951 to the latest available year (the census data are for 10-yearly periods). The data have been collected from various secondary sources.

The database contains Five major areas - Finance, Humanpower, Indicators, Infrastructure, and Socio Economic Data which are divided to subheads. The actual data are available under further subdivisions and may be presented accordingly to gender, rural-urban status or other categories.

Finance: Finance data present each state governments receipts and expenditure on health in various categories, such as medical (hospitals and dispensaries, medical education), public health (disease control programmes), family welfare programmes, and water supply and sanitation. Also state-wise information on total government spending... Selected data

Humanpower: Humanpower data cover information on various professions working in the health sector.Eg. Doctors, dentists, dental assistants, nurse, midwives, auxiliary nurse midwives health visitors, pharmacists, pharmacist's assistants, paramedical workers, X-ray technicians, dietitians nutritionists veterinarians.

Indicators: Indicators data cover vital information mortality , causes of death, and attention at birth or death... Updated data

Infrastructure: Data on infrastructure describes the health facilities available in the state.Like No. of Hospitals, dispensaries, beds, primary health centres, sub-centres and community health centres.

Socio-Economic Profile: Demographic Profile covers selected variables like rural-urban population, male-female population, age-group population, male-female literacy rates,Male-female agriculture labour, male-female cultivators,main and marginal workers in rural-urban area. Economic profile includes variable of State's Net state domestic product.