Whether Changing Environmental Conditions of Living Negate Impact of Socio-economic Development on Health Outcomes of Urban Poor?

In recent years, climate change has almost becomes synonyms with development of environmental hazards adversely affecting the living being. Its adverse affects are particularly large on those segments of populations where the current burden of climate-sensitive disease is high. One such category is urban poor which is characterized by cramp living spaces, lack of sanitation and safe drinking water, poor and unhygienic environmental conditions, poor socio-economic status etc. As a consequence, their major health indicators like, morbidity (due to communicable as well non-communicable diseases) and child death rate are higher than other sections of population viz, rural and urban non-poor. It has also been observed that unlike the rural areas, programs to address socio-economic development and healthcare needs in urban poor localities have limited impact on health outcomes. Why? Is it because living environment is quite degraded (inputs are rendered ineffective) or the interventions are not penetrating or accessed by all people to realize any measurable outcome?
This paper examines this phenomenon by taking India as a case. It analyses the health outcomes for urban poor in contemporary Indian communities against the backdrop socio-economic and healthcare developments, over a period of one decade.