Understanding Inequities in Institutional Childbirth in Odisha, India

This thesis helps understand and, in turn, proposes a way by which evaluations of a maternal health programme in India would be able to address inequities in its programmatic outcomes. In it, I contextualise the discussion for the state of Odisha, which performs poorly on different socioeconomic indicators. Overall, it helps understand the complex interplay of different social processes, institutions, norms, and practices not accounted for in the programme's design. The thesis would benefit academicians and health systems researchers interested in health policy evaluation in India and the Global South; it is expected to contribute to the body of knowledge on inequities in health systems.