Health Status & Health Behaviour of the Slum Dwellers

Health is a matter of concern and applies to all residents living in any country. Economic disparity had created some areas in the society which are overcrowded and don't receive basic amenities at all levels. The partial healthcare resources available for the slumdwellers make their lives vulnerable to risks and prone to critical illnesses. This also makes the prevention and management of diseases very difficult. These slum areas are a neglected lot due to improper hygiene and inadequate sanitation. The rural-poor immigration towards the towns and cities had increased the urban-slum population, thereby creating a limited accessibility to several elementary civic amenities and essential services namely -electricity, potable water, education, etc. This deteriorated the living conditions, thus created problems in maintaining essential public health facilities. We often find the irregular and inadequate existence of both private and public health services. Slum dwellers are not even aware about these facilities, on the contrary the policy makers are reluctant to consider these as one of the prime agendas in any way. Most of them are ignorant about common health issues like the need for boiling of the drinking water, handwashing with soap before and after meals, use of soap for washing the hands after defecation etc. Some age-old superstitions, traditions, values, and social norms also can act as resilience to the available modernized healthcare facilities.