Accepted Paper
Paper short abstract
Accessing healthcare is not only an economic phenomenon but also depends upon deeply rooted structural inequalities, gendered roles, and autonomy. The study aims to construct a multidimensional Women's Healthcare Access Vulnerability Index for women experiencing non-communicable diseases in India.
Paper long abstract
Women, due to their reproductive roles, have higher healthcare needs than men. Most existing indices prioritise the reproductive health of women; however, a need arises to focus on the often-ignored chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that affect women's well-being. Due to the combined impact of vulnerabilities, women who are suffering from NCDs are less likely to access healthcare facilities in developing countries. Therefore, the study aims to construct a multidimensional Women's Healthcare Access Vulnerability Index (WHAVI) specifically for women experiencing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at the state level in India. The study uses the latest fifth round of the National Family Health Survey of India. Using the Alkire-Foster methodology, WHAVI comprises four dimensions: educational and informational deprivation, financial deprivation, decision-making deprivation, and gendered barriers to healthcare access. Results show that 54.7% (H=0.547) of women with NCDs are vulnerable to at least one deprivation, while among the deprived, 47.9% (A=0.479) suffer from multiple deprivations on average. Further, approximately 26.2% of the overall women with NCDs experience multidimensional vulnerabilities (the adjusted headcount ratio (M0= 0.262)) in accessing healthcare services in India. States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have lower multidimensional health vulnerability of women, while Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar have the highest. The study aims to address the existing gap in women's health-related indices. Using our WHAVI, researchers in developing countries can formulate target-based interventions that not only address disease incidence but also capture the intensity and severity of disease due to structural barriers.
Reimagining public health: Power, inequality, and empowerment in uncertain futures in the global South