Health Equity for a Viksit Bharat: Maternal Healthcare Utilization in Rural and Urban India

Maternal health is a widely faced issue at global level. Among the countries, Sub Saharan Africa and Southern Asia accounted for around 87% of the estimated global maternal deaths in 2020 (SDG Progress Report, 2024). Most of the countries from these regions are low and middle income countries. Being one of the countries facing this dire issue, India has strategically initiated maternal health care programs to reduce maternal mortality rate and enhance maternal health conditions. Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 calls for reduction of maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. (Statistics, U. N., 2019) which is 97 per 100000 live births. (NFHS 5). Despite notable advancements in maternal healthcare programs and policies in India, rural urban disparities in the utilization of maternal healthcare services still persist. Urban areas are often marked by better healthcare access and outcomes, whereas rural regions which are often underserved areas encounter significant challenges in healthcare provision. Maternal healthcare being one of the crucial indicators of development of a country, present study aims at understanding disparities in utilisation of maternal healthcare services in the context of rural and urban India. The study is comparative and descriptive in nature. Secondary data from National Family Health Survey 5 regarding key maternal Health indicators such as Antenatal Care, Institutional Delivery and post-delivery care has been used for the purpose of comparative study of utilisation of maternal health care services between rural and urban India. The study found that pregnant women from urban areas avail four or more ANC visits compared to rural areas. Percentage of women receiving ANC for skilled health service providers is comparatively higher in urban areas than rural areas. Percentage of institutional delivery is also greater in Urban areas. This research emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to bridge the rural-urban gap in maternal healthcare, improve service delivery in underserved rural areas, and ensure equitable access to maternal healthcare services across India.