This summer
I have been privileged and overjoyed to participate in the India Global Service
Learning Program. Through this program, I spent eight weeks living in Mysore,
Karnataka, partnered with and learning from the development NGO, Swami
Vivekananda Youth Movement, also known as SVYM. During my time at SVYM, I
worked under GRAAM--Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement. My work at GRAAM
contributed to a larger study exploring the prevalence, implications, and
causes of out of pocket expenditures for maternal healthcare. To better
understand these expenditures, I compiled national and district level data on
maternal health service uptake, analyzed maternal health trends in Karnataka
over the last 20 years, and used statistical methods to explore the relationship
between out of pocket expenditures and maternal health. Additionally, I visited
a primary health facility and spoke with health professionals to better
understand health infrastructure in Karnataka.
After
completing research, I found a few key trends. First, in Karnataka
institutional births have experienced an impressive increase between 2004 and
2016. Secondly, full antenatal care service uptake has experienced a
significant decline, while specific antenatal care indicators (such as neonatal
tetanus vaccinations and first trimester check-ups) have experienced a sharp
increase directly followed by a sharp decrease.
Additionally,
I found a few key correlations. First, I found a correlation between out of
pocket expenditures and maternal health outcomes. Lastly, I found correlations
between out of pocket expenditures and institutional births, and between out of
pocket expenditures and caesarean sections.
Ultimately,
my experience at SVYM has affected me personally and professionally. It has
challenged me and it has given me the opportunity to experience a different way
of life. I am incredibly grateful for all that I have experienced and learned
these last eight weeks in Mysore.
