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.
In 1998, CEHAT released this database with its own software programme in the DOS environment for accessing and analysing the data. It provides health data (over 500 variables) for the central government and all the states, from 1951 to the latest available years. The database is now in Windows environment, making it even easier to use it with user friendly features. Simply clicking on a variable of one's interest, tables could be constructed. To view a trend, or to compare the situation across states, one could draw area graphs, line graphs, bar charts or scatter plots for meaningful, attractive and appreciative presentations. What more, one can even compute new variables of one's own interest using the basic ones. One can also save newly generated tables and graphs in 15 different formats, export the tables to Word, Excel, Access print directly. Some of the state-wise time series information provided in the database, includes:
- General profile
: State's area, number of districts, number of electrified villages, population, sex ratio and rural-urban break-up. The standard of living is expressed in terms of factors such as the average life expectancy at birth, the state domestic product and the number of people living below the poverty line.
- Health indicators
: Death rate, infant mortality rate, stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates, causes of deaths, etc.
- Health infrastructure
: The number of hospitals, dispensaries, primary health centres, community health centres, medical colleges, nurses training institutions, dental colleges and so on, in a state and in the country, with break up of distribution (rural-urban, public-private).
- Health human power
: Doctors (of different systems of medicine) registered with different medical councils, nurses and midwives; pharmacists, nutritionists, other paramedical workers, veterinary doctors etc. Besides, it also provides information available from the census documents on them.
- Health finances
: Under the major budget heads of the central and state governments, the data on the government expenditure.
The Database would be released in a couple of months.
Compiled Data on Health
Outcome Indicators
Crude Birth Rate: All India (per 1000 population)
Infant Mortality Rates: All India (per 1000 live births)
Still birth Rate: All India (per 1000 live births)
Total Fertility Rate: All India
Percentage Institutional Births: All India
Percentage Births Attended by Trained Practitioners: All India
Neo-natal Mortality Rate: All India (per 1000 live births)
Infrastructure and Resources
Doctors and Nurses: All India (per 100,000 population)
Hospitals: All India (per 100,000 population)
Dispensaries: All India (per 100,000 population)
Primary Health Centres and Sub Centres: All India (per 100,000 population)
Beds: All India (per 100,000 population)
Public Health Expenditures
Revenue Expenditure on Health
Capital Expenditure on Health
Health Expenditure as percentage of Total Expenditure
Total Revenue Expenditure, State and Union
Total Capital Expenditure, State and Union
Revenue Receipts from Public Health and Family Welfare as Percent of Revenue Health Expenditure
Revenue Receipts from Public Health and Family Welfare
Revenue Receipts from Medical as Percent of Revenue Health Expenditure
Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)/
Employees State Insurance Schemes (ESIS) Revenue Receipt
Receipts from Services and Fees (Medical)
Revenue Expenditure on Family Welfare
Capital Expenditure on Family Welfare
Expenditure on Medical Services
Total Expenditure on Public Health
Expenditure on National Disease Programme
Expenditure on Hospitals and Dispensaries
Expenditure on Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)/
Employees State Insurance Schemes (ESIS)
Revenue Expenditure on Medical Education, Training and Research
Capital Expenditure on Medical Education, Training and Research
Revenue Expenditure on Rural Family Welfare Services
Revenue Expenditure on Urban Family Welfare Services
Revenue Expenditure on Maternal and Child Health