Contribution of Health Sector to the Human Development of Andhra Pradesh

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken many initiatives for the development of health sector in order to to increase the Human Development Indicators in Andhra Pradesh. They include promoting institutional deliveries,  strengthening of health infrastructure, training of service providers in management of emergency obstetric care and skilled birth attendance, providing ante-natal and post-natal care, organising village health and nutrition days, engagement of an accredited social health activist (ASHA) in the community, establishing referral systems including emergency referral transport, training of service providers in integrated management of neo-natal & childhood illness, training of ASHAs in Home based new born care, training of health care providers in essential new-born care and resuscitation, providing new-born care at all levels, promoting exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding, establishment of nutritional rehabilitation centres,  strengthening routine immunization programme, focusing on reduction in morbidity and mortality due to acute respiratory infections (ARI) and diarrheal diseases, introduction of name based web enabled tracking of pregnant women & children (Mother and Child Tracking System) to ensure antenatal, intra-natal and postnatal care to pregnant women and care to new-borns, infants and children. All these measures have resulted in the growth of Life Expectancy at Birth, which is recognized by the UNDP as the outcome of Health Sector Development and included as the indicator for measuring Human Development Index. In this context, the present paper assessed the relationship between Human Development Index and Life Expectancy at Birth in Andhra Pradesh during the post bifurcation period.

Keywords: Life Expectancy at Birth, Human Development, Health Sector, Budget Allocations.