Sociology of health and illness in India: Present status and future strategy

Abstract

Sociology is going to face a number of issues, challenges and opportunities related to health and illness in the Indian context, viz. child and maternal mortality, early marriage and early pregnancy, mapping of social and cultural healthcare practices, including human health-seeking behaviour towards HIV/AIDS control and care. A particular apprehension for sociology as a discipline in India at least is that it is lagging behind the set norms of appropriate use of sociological input at the grassroots level-health education, programme implementation, preventing continuation of the existing sickly health panorama and counselling at large the various segments of needy population in general and adolescent, youth, ageing and the educationally backward/underprivileged classes, in particular. Despite policies and programmes and global partnerships, tenets of the programmes of action for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remain unrealised. Sociology of the future thus calls for devoted professionals who combine clear theoretical thinking with realistic applications. Trained and skilled sociologists can help health-related aspects percolate to the grassroots levels for a sustainable impact of health and family welfare programmes.