Understanding Social Determinants for Children in Difficult Circumstances: An Indian Perspective

Background: Socioeconomic factors play an important role in predicting the health of people of a nation. Inequity in income and distribution of materials and services, and social exclusion make a nation hollow from within. Benefits of national facilities and supply do not reach many communities of uneducated and low-profile population. Recognition of social determinants of children’s health, and acting upon the issues through legislation and policies would promise to build a healthy nation with people of standard health. Method: Information has been collected from the literature available on social determinants and child health, and key challenging areas have been identified for opportunities of intervention. Result: Persistent poverty and lack of education pose significant negative impact in segregation and marginalization in society, schools and workplaces. Children of such underprivileged class are either deprived of food, education and parents’ care, or leave home for sheltering on street in quest of facilities for meeting their daily needs. In such inadequate circumstances, these children often become victims of violence, crime and abuse. Girls are trafficked and sold for prostitution. Though such children develop a strong survival spirit, their health is seriously affected by extremes of societal and environmental conditions. Conclusion: Improvement in income and education can control intergenerational inequity in life-course and professional achievements. Integration of social pediatrics for measuring the impact of social determinants, which is already prevalent in many developed countries, would be important to lower the extent of illness. This present report describes societal factors affecting children’s health in India, government policies conceived and their success-to-date in curbing the figures of child morbidity and mortality.