Submission ID 116993
| Issue/Objective | Marginalized communities in India, particularly Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC), experience systemic barriers to maternal healthcare, resulting in disproportionately high maternal mortality rates compared to general caste populations. While national and state governments' implementation of holistic healthcare programs, such as the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), the world's largest conditional cash transfer scheme , have drastically improved maternal survival rates across India since the turn of the 21st century, structural inequities, caste-based discrimination, and lack of culturally competent care continue to prevent these programs from equitably benefitting all populations, especially SC and ST. |
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| Methodology/Approach | This scoping review examines the interventions addressing maternal survival rate among India's ST and SC populations. Guided by input from ST and SC women and a local NGO in rural Rajasthan, our review sought to incorporate culturally relevant perspectives throughout the review process. Local stakeholders contributed to refining scoping questions and identifying context-specific factors such as geographical barriers, livelihood systems, and cultural beliefs, ensuring that the review findings would benefit the community's priorities . Using Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) methodology, a systematic search of electronic databases was conducted to identify studies addressing maternal survivability among ST and SC populations in India. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies were included and reviewed. Data extraction focused on program accessibility, cultural acceptability, and the role of cultural practices and local health initiatives. |
| Results | : Findings emphasize the critical need for culturally-tailored healthcare services, policies, and the inclusion of community-identified strategies to reduce persistent inequities in maternal survivability among ST and SC populations |
| Discussion/Conclusion | The involvement of local communities in the review process highlighted the value of participatory research when seeking to address maternal health for underserved populations and to develop innovative solutions to address the specific needs and experiences of the community. Future research should integrate community-informed insights to develop sustainable, equitable maternal healthcare services at local levels and inform maternal health policies. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Andrea Mellor Center for Substance Use Research Cecilia Benoit Center for Substance Use Research Patricha Jeppe Ottsen Human and Social Development |
