Public Health in the Rural Areas of India - A Privilege?

Abstract

Background: Everything is a public health issue, from climate change to geopolitical threats to food
safety to healthcare-associated infections. It is the most required and the most important service in the
world right now. Despite public health being the fundamental human right, we can see how it is being
denied to millions of individuals from the underprivileged communities especially the rural areas of the
country. Hence a study explaining the critical need of public health and an analysis of the current public
health issues in today’s world is greatly needed.
Method: A cross-sectional study has been conducted for a period of 2 months among 100 low-income
families in Kammavaripalem region of Nandigamamandal, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. This article
specially focusses on riveting issues such as domestic abuse, menstrual hygiene and illiteracy which are
the most immediate public health issues that needs to be addressed. The questionnaire concentrates on
how the limited resources affects the public health status of the families. The data has been collected
using a pre-tested and semi-structured questionnaire through face-to-face interview method.
Conclusion: The survey showed results that clearly depict a critical need for public health attention in
these rural areas. Considering what were found the root causes of these issues, initiatives are suggested
in these areas; educating women about their rights with regards to domestic abuse and giving them
better employment opportunities, awareness among women about menstrual hygiene practices and
a necessary cost effective alternate to commercial pads and a system to make the parents learn the
importance of education in order to decrease the school drop-out rate.