Effectiveness of Multiple-Strategy Community Intervention in Reducing Geographical, Socioeconomic and Gender Based Inequalities in Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in Haryana, India

ObjectiveThe implemented multiple-strategy community intervention National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) between 2005 and 2012 aimed to reduce maternal and child health (MCH) inequalities across geographical, socioeconomic and gender categories in India. The objective of this study is to quantify the extent of reduction in these inequalities pre- and post-NRHM in Haryana, North India.MethodsData of district-level household surveys (DLHS) held before (2002–04), during (2007–08), and after (2012–13) the implementation of NRHM has been used. Geographical, socioeconomic and gender inequalities in maternal and child health were assessed by estimating the absolute differences in MCH indicators between urban and rural areas, between the most advantaged and least advantaged socioeconomic groups and between male and female children. Logistic regression analyses were done to observe significant differences in these inequalities between 2005 and 2012.ResultsThere were significant improvements in all MCH indicators (pConclusionsThe implemented multiple-strategy community intervention National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) between 2005 and 2012 might have resulted in significant reductions in geographical, socioeconomic and gender inequalities in MCH in Haryana, as causal relationships cannot be established with descriptive research.