Karnataka - Population, Family Planning and Women's Health
Item
- Title
- Karnataka - Population, Family Planning and Women's Health
- Creator
- Shirdi Prasad Tekur
- Date
- 1987
- extracted text
-
f
G
KARNATAKA
POPULATION, FAMILY PLANNING AND WOMEN'S HEALTH
by
DR. SHLRDI PRASAD TEKUR,
M.B.B.S., D.C.H.
Coordinator,
Community Health Cell,
o
Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action,
No.326, 5th Main,
Koramangala, 1st Block,
Bangalore - 560 034.
KARNATAKA
POPULATION, FAMILY PLANNING AND WOMEN'S HEALTH
Karnataka occupies the eighth position among States in India in
terms of population and land area. We occupy 5.84% of land area,
with 5.31% of the Indian Population, with an average of 234
people per Sq. Km. This compares well with the National averages
and the surrounding states, except Kearala and Tamilnadu, where
more people live on less land.
The rate at which this population is growing over the last decade
(1981-91) is 20.7%, a decrease from the earlier decade (1971-81 26.8%). The rate of decrease is more than in the surrounding
states and the country as a whole. Which means, our population
is growing at a slower rate.
Population size and growth is related to the status of women in
society,
socio-economic
status,
literacy,
employment
opportunities, and several other issues of development other than
Medical and Health services in an area. Family Planning efforts
make a marginal impact, though specifically designed to control
population growth.
Family Planning has been on the National agenda since before
Independence, and Karnataka has been one of the earliest to
appreciate and adopt policies meant for the same, The details of
the evolution and modification of these programmes is beyond the
present purview.
Nature favours the survival of the female in any species,
including the human. This is seen in the fact that more female
children are born than male, especially in a growing population
like ours.
They do not seem to survive well, if we look at
statistics given below :-
Efiaalfii per 1000 wl es
INDIA
KAB.
A.P.
T.N.
KEB.
MAH.
1991
929
961
973
972
1040
935
1981
934
963
975
977
1032
937
There are less females per 1000 males in Karnataka than the
surrounding states except Maharashtra, though we are better than
National averages.
The woman in Karnataka survives less better, meaning that she
the
suffers
from more inequalities than her sisters
in
neighbouring states. The situation is worsening too, except in
Kerala.
1
What is this related to? Literacy,
Health Services, Poverty, or whatever
situation in Karnataka's districts.
Employment, Urbanisation,
let's have a look at the
EflBalfia. per 1000 Bala popuIfltian : Distrtat-wise
District
1981
1991
Bellary
Bidar
Bijapur
Gulbarga
Kolar
Raichur
973
968
982
981
971
988
957
953
965
962
962
978
I
District
1981
1991
Chickmagalur
Kodagu
D. Kannada
Hassan
Shimoga
U. Kannada
953
933
1059
987
947
958
977
989
1063
1000
961
967
In the districts listed on the left, we see a worsening survival
for women, while it is improving with those listed on the right.
Why and how this difference?
One of the major factors cited is, literacy among females.
Excepting Andhra Pradesh, the Karnataka woman is not as literate
as in the neighbouring states. We are of course better than the
National average.
56% of population
44.3% of females
Karnataka - Total literacy
Female literacy
Let us see this factor when we look again at the districts listed
earlier for female literacy.
District
Rural
Urban
Bellary
Bidar
Bijapur
Gulbarga
Kolar
Raichur
19.50%
19.66%
29.58%
12.94%
29.56%
13.16%
42.13%
46.48%
46.70%
fj
I
I
43.05%
56.74%
35.79%
I
I
I
District
Rural
Urban
Chickmagalur
Kodagu
D. Kannada
Hassan
Shimoga
U. Kannada
40.39%
49.98%
55.45%
33.83%
37.16%
43.27%
62.13%
67.05%
68.84%
65.62%
61.26%
63.42%
In the above figures, the differences in literacy of
woman is more striking than in the urban.
the
rural
The urban woman apears to be more literate, but faces all the
to
problems
of urbanisation from congested living spaces
pollution and the crunch of resources to unequal competition.
2
1
How many people do live in cities and towns, and how fast is this
problem increasing?
Ratio of Orban Population to. Total (X)
INDIA
KAR.
A.P.
T.N.
KER.
MAH.
25.7
30.9
26.8
34.2
26.4
38.7
Increase (%)
during 81-91 36.2
29.1
42.6
19.3
60.9
38.7
1991
Three out of ten people live in cities and towns, in Karnataka,
and it is increaing at the same rate (i.e., three more are added
to ten already in the city/town) over the last decade.
What
Which are these rapidly growing urban areas in Karnataka?
is the health status of women here?
Population ('000s)
Place
Decennial growth rate
39.9%
33.7%
22.9%
39.1%
36.2%
4,087
402
648
426
652
Bangalore
Belgaum
Hubli-Dharwad
Mangalore
Mysore
Wherever the people live, poverty is a major factor to
considered, and for people living in villages, their ability
reach places in the state for employment, health care etc. ,
important.
be
to
is
Let us see how Karnataka fares in these aspects :INDIA
KAR.
A.P.
T.N.
KER.
MAH.
Population
below poverty
line (as%) of
total (198788)
29.9
32.1
31.7
32.8
17.0
29.2
% Villages
(1987-88)
Connected by
fairweather
Roads
40.7
32.9
43.0
63.2
100
52.9
3
We seem to be as poor as our neighbouring states except Kerala,
while the villages of Karnataka are less well connected by
fairweather roads than all of them, even by National standards!
Since a majority of mobile population is male, the
woman has even less opportunity to do soi in this
compared to her sisters.
Karnataka
situation
This means that the Karnataka woman has lesser chances
reaching facilities away from her village, whether for health
employment.
of
or
When we consider the participation rate of Female workers in
employment, the Karnataka woman is marginally less well off than
in neighbouring states.
Karnataka as such provides lesser
opportunities for "main" employment too! Also, 70% of main work
is done by males in the country.
The 'marginal' sector of employment, where a person has work for
less than 180 days per year (less than 1/2 the time in a year) is
what we need to focus on, since 10% of all employment available
is in this category.
Nine out of ten 'marginal' workers are women, with the
insecurity and impact on survival.
attendant
Does the status of Women's Health depend on Hospital facilities.
Yes, at least for disease care and public health measures, Where
do we stand on this in Karnataka?
Beds ('0003)
Hospitals
Population
Total
Govt.
Total
Govt.
Per Bed
15,067
India
Karnataka
288
615
Andhraprade s h
408
Tamilnadu
2,924
Kerala
2,104
Maharashtra
8,290
237
349
289
137
785
645.9
34.5
36.4
48.8
70.3
111.4
462.8
27.1
25.3
38.4
26.5
73.6
1316
1299
1613
1136
413
667
Needless to point out that we are worse off than our
except marginally better than Andhra Pradesh.
neighbours,
The Kami 1y Welfare Programme in Karnataka has been consistently
meeting most of the 'targets' laid down for it, and has been
'successful' in that aspect. The burden of this is borne by the
woman, since the 'targets' are,
4
Sterilization - where the number of women undergoing tubectomy
fifteen times the number of men undergoing vasectomy.
I.U.D. insertion - it is the woman again
- Birth control pills - and again
- Medical Termination of Pregnancy - and again.
Injectable contraceptives have now been cleared by the Government
for use on women, and the implantable ones (Norplant) have
completed their 'trials' for use. This focus is on the woman,
where we know that more than half suffer from anaemia, while the
morbidity due to gynaecological problems are not even well
studied or quantified. On the one who utilizes all her earnings
for the benefit of the family, if and when she can earn, On the
one who has little access to health care facilities and has to
struggle against many odds for mere survival.
It is clear that unless factors affecting the survival of women
change, family planning measures are an additional imposition on
her life.
I hope I have outlined some of these factors which will help your
discussions and decisions over the next two days.
REFERENCES :
1. Statistical outline of India 1992-93 - Tata Services Limited,
Department of Economics and Statistics.
2. "District Census Figures 1991 and their implications" Seminar
paper - 28th October, 1992 - presented by Dr. R. Indira, Deptt.
of Studies in Sociology, University of Mysore.
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