A Case Study on: The Health Condition and the Way of Living in the Rural Areas of the Sundarbans South 24 Parganas, West Bengal

Along with education, health is the most important human development indicator. It is crucial in determining the level of welfare of individuals and the community. Health and education, the two prime needs of the populace may fulfil many criteria of wellbeing in the long run. But unavailable and inappropriate facilities of the Sundarban South 24 Parganas district to combat the common and in few cases rare diseases are all time headache among the commoners. Health is important not only as a target important for its own sake, but for enabling the individual to access or utilize the facilities and services available to the person. Provisioning of health services to the community is therefore crucial in any economy, and more so in developing Economies. In particular, policy makers must ensure equitable access to the health care system, by providing cost effective health services (as recognized in the Alma-Ata “Health for All” initiative undertaken by the World Health Organisation in 1978) and facilities to the poor especially in rural areas. Such intervention characterizes an effective and socially acceptable approach to poverty reduction.