Evaluation of the accessibility of modern maternal health services among andh tribe of Maharashtra Bhalkar Archana* Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, Maharashtra, India *Email id: archanabhalkar9@gmail.com
Online published on 18 August, 2023. Abstract This research paper is focused on evaluation of the accessibility of government maternal health services among the women of Andh tribe living in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra. For this study, primary data had been collected from 126 married Andh women of reproductive age residing in three villages of Pusad tahsil. Result of the research shows that Andh women who were landless, working as agricultural laborers, married at younger age, and with low educational level did not take full advantage of government maternal health services due to following the traditional method of health care during pregnancy and delivery. Percentage of usage of government antenatal services, institutional delivery and home delivery by trained health workers among Andh women have found to be low as compared to the national and state level figures, which reflects their serious situation as well as indicates the failure of the efforts made to achieve the goal determined by the government to increase the level of maternal health. Result of the research emphasizes the need for special efforts to improve the social, economic and educational level of Andh women as well as to eliminate the misconceptions prevalent in the traditional method of maternal health care practices. Top Keywords Maternal health services, Traditional method of maternal health care, Pregnancy, Delivery, Andh tribe, Women, Yavatmal. Top |