Health > Urban Health
The urban population in Rajasthan is rapidly growing. As per the Census 2001, 1.32 crores people comprising 23.4 % of the total population were living in urban areas. It is estimated that the urban population in the state will increase to 2.40 crores in 2026.This rapid urbanization has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of urban poor population with majority of them living in slums. As per the Census 2001, 47.51 lakh persons comprising 32.9% of the urban population of the state lives below poverty line.
Rapid urbanization has outpaced and overstretched the existing public health infrastructure, resulting in situation where a large number of urban poor do not have access to basic healthcare services.
This has resulted in poor health indicators of urban poor. The urban poor face greater health hazards due to overcrowding, poor sanitation, lack of access to safe drinking water and environmental pollution. Poor environmental condition in the slums along with high population density makes them vulnerable to critical diseases. The urban poor are four times more vulnerable to these risks than other urban residents.
About the program
The known fact is that the quality of the healthcare of the urban poor cannot be improved unless the conditions of their health determinants (like water, sanitation, nutrition, hygiene etc.) are improved. With the same outline, BCT has entered into technical partnership with PFI (Population foundation of India) for the health initiative “Health of the Urban Poor†(HUP).
The program’s objective is to improve the health status of the urban poor by adopting effective, efficient and sustainable strategic intervention approaches, adopting the principle of convergence of the various development programs.
