PhD Student

Course Start: 05 March 2015
First Supervisor: Dr Shuby Puthussery

Second Supervisor: Professor Gurch Randhawa

Thesis title

Examining equity in access to institutional childbirth in India using the social determinants model: A Case study of Odisha state, India

Abstract

The study aims to explore equity in access to institutional childbirth in India using the social determinants of health framework, based on the case of Odisha state in India. The study will be conducted using qualitative methods, including (a) systematic review of barriers and facilitators of institutional childbirth in India; (b) a policy review using the political priority framework; and (c) primary study involving key informant interviews with planners, donors and implementers of institutional childbirth; in-depth interviews with expectant and recent mothers; and, focus group discussions with stakeholders at the community level. The systematic review will be conducted using a narrative approach. For the analysis of primary data, relevant software such as NVivo will be used, as appropriate. The proposed study is expected to generate new evidence in the policy and programmatic spectrum, and help develop plans to improving access to maternal and child health services in India.

Research Objectives

• Objective 1: To appraise and synthesize the existing evidence on the effectiveness of programs, policies and interventions to increase access to institutional childbirth in the South Asia region.
• Objective 2: To analyse the key determinants of access to institutional childbirth in India using data from National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4, 2014-15) with a view to understand the changes since the last available comprehensive data (NFHS 3, 2008-09).
• Objective 3: To develop an understanding of the perspectives of the service users on the community level barriers and facilitators of access to institutional childbirth (based on the case of Odisha state).
• Objective 4: To explore the perspectives from the key stakeholders about (a) the policy and governance level barriers and facilitators of access to institutional childbirth; (b) strategies used to improve equity in access to institutional childbirth; (c) emerging challenges; and (d) opportunities for action (based on the case of Odisha state).

About Me

I am a public health professional with over two decades of experience at national and global levels in programme management, technical assistance and monitoring evaluation in various public health and development programmes. I have been working with the World Health Organization since 2005, initially two years in Beijing and then in Geneva. Since 2013, working with the WHO Evaluation Office, managing corporate evaluations of WHO.

Contact Information

M: +41 79 926 5790
E: anandkuruppodiyadi@gmail.com
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