ABSTRACT
Background: A good dietary practices are for plays a crucial role in influencing recovery from tuberculosis and it is a modifiable risk factor. Adequate nutrition is needed for faster recovery along with proper drug absorption and other thermodynamics of drugs besides adherence to drug treatment. It helps in better weight gain besides others benefits. So, the government of India started Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) and providing monetary aid in form of Direct Benefit Transfer since March 2018 for patients. As there are very few studies which have tried to analyze and explore the effect of direct monetary benefits in many schemes. Aim and objectives of current study was to assess monetary support indicators and its utilization among TB patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted where the patients were taken using sequential sampling from Designated Microscopic Centers from January 2020 to December 2021. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and results were presented in tabular form. Results: Approximately 63.9% patients received Direct Benefit Transfer money. Approximately 69.5% of those who received money used it. However, no significant association ascertained between DBT money used and under-nutrition. Conclusions: Knowledge about TB and DBT should be provided through already existing ICT tool. Purpose of DBT money should be stressed at initiation of treatment to eliminate TB by 2025 as envisioned under National TB elimination program.
ABSTRACT
Background: Reproductive Tract Infections (RTI) have a direct impact on reproductive and child health through infertility, cancers, and pregnancy complications, and they have an indirect impact through their role in facilitating the sexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus. Objectives: To find the prevalence and determinants of RTI/STI among married women of reproductive age group in rural and peri-urban areas of Aligarh. Methods: The data were collected by using a pretested, semi-structured with both open and closed-ended questionnaire from 500 married women of reproductive age group. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 20.0 Proportion, frequencies, ?2, and logistic regression were used to interpret the data. Results: Prevalence of RTI/STI symptoms was found to (42.8%) in rural areas and 37.6 % in periurban areas. Strong association was found in study subjects having lower educational status, who were not using any contraceptive method, not following good menstrual hygiene, early marriage age had husband history of RTI/STI, had a history of abortion, had a history of violence, and increased parity. Conclusions: Prevalence of symptoms found to be associated with these females having low educational status, early age of marriage, high parity, partner history of reproductive Tract Infections, history of violence etc. So, there should be more focus on improvement in these factors to reduce the prevalence.
ABSTRACT
Background: India ranks among the bottom five countries in public health spending. Out of pocket spending of households on healthcare is almost 70% of income and reimbursement in any form availed by households whose members are employed in the formal sector is negligible. Objectives: To determine the usual source of medical care opted for by the study population. To find out the illness pattern and its age/sex distribution in the study population. To find out the expenditure incurred on illness and its source of procurement by the study population. Methodology: 52.42% urban Aligarh resides in slums. A cross sectional study was done to study the newer slum pockets. 3409 households with a population of 16,978 were studied with the help of pretested questionnaire; SPSS 20 was used for statistical analysis. Results: In our study, we found that almost all the households suffered from catastrophic health expenditure. The study population, which was already vulnerable owing to their low socio-economic and migrant status was further forced into poverty and indebtedness on account of expenditure on illness. Conclusions: National health financing systems should be designed to protect households from financial catastrophe, by reducing out-of-pocket spending.