Infant Mortality Among Primitive Tribal Groups: A Regional Analysis of Jharkhand

The book is the outcome of a Major Research Project on ‘Infant Mortality among the Primitive Tribal Groups in Jharkhand’ sponsored by the University Grants Commission of India in which the author was the sole Principal Investigator. It is observed that high level of infant deaths among the primitive tribes are caused by extreme level of poverty, widespread childhood diseases, non-utilization of modern medical facilities, dearth of health facilities, malnutrition, illiteracy among mothers, non-scientific use of indigenous medicine, poor cleanliness & unhygienic situations, prevailing superstitions about child rearing, non-availability of pure drinking water, poor transportation & communication facilities, delayed breastfeeding, prevalence of single parent family, poor housing design, heavy liquor consumption by the parents, extreme low level of income, low productivity of land and so on and so forth. It analyses the distribution, growth and concentration of PTGs at district level on the basis of census data whereas demographic and socio-economic characteristics, availability of medical and other infrastructural facilities, regional assessment and pattern of infant deaths, health, hygiene and sanitation conditions, morbidity among the children and determinants of infant deaths are examined on the basis of primary data. If the suggested strategies such as involvement of local PTGs as medical staffs, spread of social awareness among the reproductive age group, amelioration in economic prosperity etc. are not introduced for the PTGs in the state, their population will be reduced dramatically in near future.