Health Care Services In India Research Articles

Utilizing maternal healthcare services: are female-headed households faring poorly?

BackgroundUtilization of maternal healthcare services has a direct bearing on maternal mortality but is contingent on a wide range of socioeconomic factors, including the sex of the household head. This paper studies the role of the sex of the household head in the utilization of maternal healthcare services in India using data from the National Family Health Survey-V (2019–2021).MethodsThe outcome variable of this study is maternal healthcare service utilization. To that end, we consider three types of maternal healthcare services: antenatal care, skilled birth assistance, and postnatal care to measure the utilization of maternal healthcare service utilization. The explanatory variable is the sex of the household head and we control for specific characteristics at the individual level, household-head level, household level and spouse level. We then incorporate a bivariate logistic regression on the variables of interest.Results24.25% of women from male-headed households have complete utilization of maternal healthcare services while this proportion for women from female-headed households stands at 22.39%. The results from the bivariate logistic regression confirm the significant impact that the sex of the household head has on the utilization of maternal healthcare services in India. It is observed that women from female-headed households in India are 19% (AOR, 0.81; 95% CI: 0.63,1.03) less likely to utilize these services than those from male-headed households. Moreover with higher levels of education, there is a 25% (AOR, 1.25; 95% CI: 1.08,1.44) greater likelihood of utilizing maternal healthcare services. Residence in urban areas, improved wealth quintiles and access to healthcare facilities significantly increases the chances of maternal healthcare utilization. The interaction term between the sex of the household head and the wealth quintile the household belongs to, (AOR, 1.39; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.89) shows that the utilization of maternal healthcare services improves when the wealth quintile of the household improves.ConclusionThe results throw light on the fact that the added expenditure on maternal healthcare services exacerbates the existing financial burden for the economically vulnerable female-headed households. This necessitates the concentration of research and policy attention to alleviate these households from the sexual and reproductive health distresses.Trial RegistrationNot Applicable.JEL ClassificationD10, I12, J16.

Understanding the Technology-Mediated Home Phlebotomy Ecosystem in India

The increasing platformization of healthcare services in India, in the wake of COVID-19, has resulted in huge demand for home phlebotomy. However, there is a limited understanding of the impact of digitization on home phlebotomists' workflows. To address this gap, we conducted 26 semi-structured interviews with home phlebotomists, riders, and patients, supplemented by observations of the entire workday of 3 phlebotomists. We found that home phlebotomists' technology-mediated workflows are organized in ways that enable them to build strong support networks of human infrastructure, helping them negotiate and optimize their daily workflows. Moreover, while the digitization of their workflows resulted in continued surveillance, it empowered them to justify their decisions and present evidence of work when needed. Based on our findings, we discuss implications for equitable platform work and the future of platformized health and conclude with design recommendations for telehealth platforms offering home phlebotomy services.

Experiences of transgender persons in accessing routine healthcare services in India: Findings from a participatory qualitative study.

Despite having a higher burden of health problems, transgender persons face challenges in accessing healthcare in India. Most studies on healthcare access of transgender persons in India focus only on HIV related care, mental healthcare, gender affirmative services or on the ethno-cultural communities or transgender women. This study fills this gap by focusing on diverse gender identities within the transgender community with a specific focus on experiences in accessing general or routine healthcare services. A qualitative descriptive approach was used in this study. 23 in-depth interviews and 6 focus group discussions were conducted virtually and in-person with a total of 63 transgender persons in different regions of India between May and September 2021. The study used a community-based participatory research approach and was informed by the intersectionality approach. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the data. Four key themes emerged: (i) intersectional challenges in accessing healthcare start outside of the health system, continue through cisgender-binary-normative health systems that exclude transgender persons; and at the interface with individuals such as health professionals, support staff and bystanders; (ii) the experiences negatively impact transgender persons at an individual level; (iii) in response, transgender persons navigate these challenges across each of the levels: individual, health system level and from outside of the health system. This is a first of its kind qualitative participatory study focusing on routine healthcare services of transgender persons in India. The findings indicate the need to move conversations on trans-inclusion in healthcare from HIV and gender affirmative services to routine comprehensive healthcare services considering the higher burden of health problems in the community and the impact of poor access on their lives and well-being.

Evaluation and standarisation of Shatavaryadi Churna

Introduction-The Ayurvedic medical system has recently got a lot of medical and healthcare services in India. To evaluate the quality, safety, and effectiveness of the medicine, standards and purity of herbal formulation are crucial. However, pharmacopoeia testing is the protocol that all medicines must follow in order to be accepted globally. A compound herbal formulation called Shatvaryadi Churna is suggested for the treatment of a number of diseases. For the treatment of Timira Vyadhi, patal vyadhi, kancha vyadhi and many other raktaj vikara the formulation was documented in the Ayurvedic classic Yoga Ratnakar. Materials & methods- Shatavaryadi Churna was made by using the standard procedure with all aseptic precautions and as described in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia for Churna Kalpana (Powder Preparation). The manufactured medication has been standardised by adhering to the approved pharmacopeial protocol for quality control procedures. Results- Organoleptic parameters, physiochemical evaluation, and microbiological load test was done these analytical values were within the expected limits.

Rural Healthcare Services in India: Challenges and Remedies

Health is of paramount importance in an individual's life, and it has far-reaching implications for personal well-being, societal development, and overall quality of life. Good health is essential for enjoying a high quality of life. Healthy individuals are more productive in their personal and professional lives. Health is not merely the absence of illness but a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. It affects every aspect of an individual's life and has implications for communities and societies at large. Prioritizing health through preventive measures, healthcare access, and lifestyle choices is fundamental to personal and societal development. So that, present study focus on Rural and urban healthcare services, availability, infrastructure, technology, and affordability. Addressing the disparities between rural and urban healthcare is a significant challenge, and policymakers often focus on initiatives to improve rural healthcare access, such as telemedicine, mobile clinics, and incentives for healthcare professionals to work in rural areas.

GLOBAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS – AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

Healthcare systems worldwide vary widely in terms of their structure, nancing, and delivery of healthcare services. Some countries have universal healthcare systems, providing healthcare services to all citizens at no cost or minimal cost. In contrast, others rely on a mix of public and private healthcare providers. The quality of healthcare services also varies signicantly across different countries, with some countries having highly advanced healthcare systems and others facing signicant challenges in delivering even essential healthcare services. Access to healthcare services is a crucial determinant of health outcomes, and efforts are ongoing to improve healthcare systems worldwide. India's healthcare system is one of the largest and most complex in the world, serving over 1.3 billion people. The country's healthcare infrastructure comprises a mix of public and private healthcare providers, with the government playing a crucial role in delivering healthcare services. The healthcare system faces several challenges, including inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, a shortage of healthcare professionals, and low insurance coverage. Despite these challenges, the country has made signicant strides in improving access to healthcare services in recent years, with the government launching several initiatives to strengthen the healthcare system. The government has established a nationwide network of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) to provide essential healthcare services to the population. The private sector plays a signicant role in the delivery of healthcare services in India, with many private hospitals and clinics catering to the population's needs. However, the high cost of healthcare services in the private sector makes them inaccessible to a large segment. Overall, while India's healthcare system has made signicant progress in recent years, there is still a long way to go in improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services, especially for the marginalised sections of the population

Effect of the pandemic on rehabilitation healthcare services in India: Breaking barriers.

We would like to highlight the rehabilitation medicine perspective from India. Difficulties are impacted by the pandemic during this time, especially for people with disabilities. Awareness building among the public regarding the need for rehabilitation along with improvement in infrastructure is the key unmet need.

Being Insider-Outsider: Public Policy, Social Identity, and Delivery of Healthcare Services in India

Abstract
 The pivotal role of community level workers in the delivery of public services is well-recognized. But, they often fail to provide equal opportunities to all ‘eligible’ beneficiaries to utilize a variety of public services. Although several predisposing household factors are held responsible for inequalities in access to the public services, in recent times, one factor that has been recognised as critical to such unequal access to public services is the ‘exclusionary nature of social relations’ based on social identity embedded in the social life of village community. It is also argued that certain sections of the population are deprived of equal access to public services due to their social identity, which is different from service providers. However, the question remains–whether it is the social identity of users or providers of public services that is critical to unequal access to various services? What will be the extent of utilization of public services when the social identity of both users and providers of the services remain same? Do the social dynamics of the community life play any role in the delivery of public services? This essay addresses these questions in the context of delivery of integrated nutrition and healthcare services at the community level under the largest national flagship scheme of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Drawing evidence from a larger sample survey of over 4000 household beneficiaries and 200 service providers, the essay sheds light on how the delivery of healthcare services is fraught with social injustice due to dominant socio-cultural norms around social identity despite the values of healthcare centres to cater to the health needs of all sections of society.

Caste, Social Inequalities and Maternal Healthcare Services in India: Evidence from the National Family and Health Survey

This study examines the level of access and utilization of maternal care health services among different socially disadvantaged groups in India. The study uses the data from the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015–2016. We have used descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis to assess the trends and prevalence of maternal healthcare services among different social groups. Using logistic regression, we have estimated the association of different socio-economic variables on maternal healthcare services among different socially disadvantaged groups in India. The results suggest tremendous inequality in access to maternal healthcare services among socially disadvantaged groups in India. It was found that several factors such as women’s education, working status, household wealth quintile and mass media exposure significantly impact access and utilization of maternal healthcare services among various socially disadvantaged groups. In addition, the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women are subjected to socio-economic discrimination at multiple levels, and their maternal healthcare situation remains highly fragile. The social identity and caste-based socio-economic inequalities remain a major challenge in India to assure universal access to maternal healthcare services.

COVID-19 pandemic effects on the distribution of healthcare services in India: A systematic review.

BACKGROUNDThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought fundamental changes to our problems and priorities, especially those related to the healthcare sector. India was one of the countries severely affected by the harsh consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.AIMTo understand the challenges faced by the healthcare system during a pandemic.METHODSThe literature search for this review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. We also used Reference Citation Analysis (RCA) to search and improve the results. We focused on the published scientific articles concerned with two major vital areas: (1) The Indian healthcare system; and (2) COVID-19 pandemic effects on the Indian healthcare system.RESULTSThe Indian healthcare system was suffering even before the pandemic. The pandemic has further stretched the healthcare services in India. The main obstacle in the healthcare system was to combat the rising number of communicable as well as noncommunicable diseases. Besides the pandemic measures, there was a diversion of focus of the already established healthcare services away from the chronic conditions and vaccinations. The disruption of the vaccination services may have more severe short and long-term consequences than the pandemic’s adverse effects.CONCLUSIONSeverely restricted resources limited the interaction of the Indian healthcare system with the COVID-19 pandemic. Re-establishment of primary healthcare services, maternal and child health services, noncommunicable diseases programs, National Tuberculosis Elimination Program, etc. are important to prevent serious long-term consequences of this pandemic.

An Appraisal of Prevailing Issues in Rural Tribal Health Care System in India

Better health is one of the most important aspect of the overall development and progress of any country. In the context of India, tribals are an integral part, which are 8.6 percent of the total population of the country. Scarce public health care services in India and related issues are currently the most discussed topic with recent outbreak of Covid-19 affecting human life terribly and still persisting. Health care issue affects every individual in the society. In tribal areas health care issues become even more important because as it seems that this section of society is still comparatively in unprivileged condition and not properly exploited the benefits of development process.India's development cannot be imagined without improvement of rural and tribal health. This article highlights major issues prevailing in the rural tribal health care system of India, which arises many barriers to tribal health and the holistic development of the country. Based on the blending results of several multi-factual studies, it is known that there exist many issues prevailingin the rural tribal health care delivery system. Many issues are there which are responsible for poor and complex tribal health status among the tribes, such as, low awareness about health, different religious and cultural beliefs, unrealistic health practices, living in difficult and inaccessible areas, financial problems, various infectious diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and poor public health care facilities, etc. These issues have attracted renewed attention from physicians, health policy experts, various health agencies as well as the general public, particularly tribal societies, which are most affected by these issues. Keywords: Health Status; Health Infrastructure; Rural Health Care Services; Tribal Culture And Practices; Health Policy; Public Involvement And Awareness.

Social and Regional Disparities in Utilization of Maternal and Child Healthcare Services in India: A Study of the Post-National Health Mission Period.

BackgroundIndia has enjoyed enhanced economic growth, but has fared poorly in human development indicators and health outcomes, over the last two decades. Significant health inequities and access to healthcare continue to exist and have widened within communities across states. This study examine the changes and disparities in maternal and child healthcare (MCH) among disadvantaged and advanced social groups in three states of India.Data and MethodsFour rounds of National Family Health Survey data were used to measure infant mortality rate (IMR) and under-five mortality rate (U5MR) according to the social groups for the selected states. This study investigates the socio-economic inequities manifested into caste and class differentials and inequities in availability, utilization, and affordability of maternal and healthcare services. Descriptive statistics and the logistic regression model were used. Individual- and household-level covariates were employed to understand the differentials in healthcare utilization.ResultsThe probability of not receiving full antenatal care (ANC) or full immunization for the children was highest among the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) families, followed by economic class, mother's education and residence. Tamil Nadu showed the highest utilization of public health facilities, while Bihar was the poorest in terms of health outcomes and utilization of MCH care services even after the pre-National Health Mission (NHM) period. Bihar and West Bengal also showed private healthcare dependence.ConclusionThis study detected the presence of significant caste/tribe differentials in the utilization of MCH care services in the selected states of India. Limited accessibility and unavailability of complete healthcare were the foremost reasons for the under-utilization of these services, especially for people from disadvantaged social groups. The result also suggested that it is perilous to confirm “Health for All” immediately. It will be the efficiency with which India addresses inequities in providing healthcare services and guarantees quality care of health services.

Lower Limb Stump Infection Management among Rural North Indian Population

In India, the most common complication of lower limb amputated stump is infection, and it accounts 53.5% of total amputation. The published studies on prevention and management of such infection are very few. All the patients presenting with infection of amputated lower limb stump between 2010 and 2015 were included in this descriptive study. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical, hematological, radiological, and microbiological test, i.e., culture and sensitivity of wound. Based on sensitivity report, treatment was started. There were 62 patients with 80 amputated lower limb stump infections. The most common presentation was sinus tract (54.8%). The most common cultured pathogen was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (39%). The most sensitive antibiotic was Piperacillin + Tazobactam (82.25%), followed by imipenem (75%), and levofloxacin (58.75%). More than 60% of Indian population lives in rural area. The primary mode of healthcare services in India is peripheral health centers. The first choice of drug therapy in management of amputated lower limb stump infection can be levofloxacin. Mishra S, Kumar DK, Gupta AK, et al. Lower Limb Stump Infection Management among Rural North Indian Population. Indian J Phys Med Rehab 2019;30(3):66–68.

Coverage of Quality Maternal and Newborn Healthcare Services in India: Examining Dropouts, Disparity and Determinants.

Background:Abundant research studies has recorded availability, accessibility and quality of antenatal care and safe delivery in India but comparatively less information is known for postnatal care and furthermore limited attempts at capturing the whole spectrum of obstetric and newborn health services. Assessing discontinuity in maternal and child health service utilization provides us holistic information about existing health inequities and barriers in service provision.Objective:Current study evaluated the coverage of quality antenatal care (QANC), delivery care (QDC) and postnatal care (QPNC) in India as a part of a single continuum accounting for significant regional and sub-regional disparities.Methods:This study analyzed nationally representative data obtained from NFHS-4 (2015–16). Included in the data, were 190 898 Indian women who had a recent birth in last five years. Coverage of QANC, QDC and QPNC was examined at the national, state and district level. Bivariate association of key sociodemographic variables with coverage of services was assessed during chi-squared analysis. Multilevel logistic regression analysis examined correlates associated with coverage of services. The output was presented using odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI.Findings:About 23.5% women utilized QANC out of which 92.9% opted for QDC and 35.1% of newborns received QPNC. About 400 and 471 districts out of 640 had less than 30% coverage of QANC and QPNC, respectively. Women residing in rural regions of Bihar and Northeastern states were found with less than 10% coverage of QANC. Regression analysis shows that women with more than 12 years of education and belonging to richest households had increased odds of availing QANC (OR 1.95; 95%CI: 1.84–2.06) and QDC (OR: 2.86; 95%CI: 2.27–3.60), respectively.Conclusion:Focused interventions targeting the delivery of quality services especially ANC and PNC among newborns are imperative to achieve SDG-3 goals to achieve improvement in maternal and newborn health.

Exploring the Relationship between Household Structure and Utilisation of Maternal Health Care Services in India.

The role of household structure, especially the mother-in-law (MIL) influencing daughter-in-law's maternal health care (MHC) seeking behaviour, has been a continuing debate due to the former's advantageous position in the household. This study assesses the association of household structure and particularly the presence of MIL with MHC utilisation in India using the National Family Health Survey-4 data (2015-16). The sample of women aged 15-49 years who have given birth during the last five years preceding the survey (n=184,641) was considered for analysis. The outcome variables were full-antenatal care, institutional delivery, and postnatal care. Binary logistic regression was used to check the adjusted effects of the household structure on MHC utilisation. The analyses were done with STATA (version 13) with a significance level of 5%. Adjusting the effects of socio-demographic and economic characteristics, women from non-nuclear households with MIL had higher odds of full-antenatal care (OR= 1.04, CI= 0.99-1.08) and institutional delivery (OR=1.05, CI=1.01- 1.10) than their counterparts from nuclear households. Women from non-nuclear households without MIL had lower chances of postnatal care (OR=0.98, CI=0.96-1.00) than those from nuclear households. The study unearths a very weak association between the presence of MIL in the household and MHC services utilisation of the daughter-in-law, a notable change from the earlier literature often portraying MIL as a barrier.

Predictors of the utilisation of continuum of maternal health care services in India.

BackgroundUtilisation of continuum of maternal health care services is crucial for a healthy pregnancy and childbirth and plays an important role in attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to maternal and child health. This paper aims to assess the percentage of dropouts across various stages of utilization of continuum of maternal health services (CMHS) in India and also investigates the factors hindering the utilization of these services.MethodsWe used recent data from National Family Health Survey(NFHS) encompassing a total sample of 1,70,937 pregnant women for the period 2015–16. The percentage of women dropping out while seeking maternal health care is measured using descriptive statistics. While, the factors impeding the utilization of maternal health services is estimated using a Multinomial Logistic Regression Model, where dependent variable (CMHS) is defined as complete care, incomplete care and no care.ResultsOnly17% of pregnant women availed the utilisation of complete care and 83% either did not seek any care or dropped after seeking one or two services. For instance, it is found that 79% of women who registered for antenatal care services (ANC) did not avail the same adequately. An empirical investigation of determinants of inadequate utilization of CMHS revealed that factors like individual characteristics, for instance- access to media (RRR: 2.06) and mother’s education play (RRR: 3.61) a vital role in the uptake of CMHS. It is also found that the interaction between wealth index and place of residence plays a pivotal role in seeking complete care. Lastly, the results revealed that male participation (RRR: 2.69) and contacting multi-purpose worker (MPW) (RRR: 2.33) are also at play.ConclusionThe study suggests that the major determinants of utilisation of CMHS are access to media, mother’s education, affordability barriers and male participation. Hence, policy recommendations should be oriented towards strengthening these dimensions and the utilisation of adequate ANC has to be considered as the need of the hour.

Latest developments and scope of Health Technology Assessment in India: Tapping into the future

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a multifaceted approach for informing policy by considering social, medical, economic and ethical aspects in a systematic and transparent manner. HTA is an important tool for decision-making, priority-setting and for resource allocation, leading to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The importance of HTA becomes more pronounced in developing countries such as India. In this review, we have summarised the status and future scope of HTA in India after referring to the scientific literature available in the form of journal articles and government reports. HTA supports prioritisation of healthcare services to be included in UHC and the provision of affordable and quality healthcare services in India. India established ‘HTA in India’ (HTAIn) in January 2017 as a starting point in HTA activities and this centre conducts HTA studies of various methodologies upon receiving requests from the different central and state departments. HTA in India is a relatively new concept and the processes are not streamlined compared to countries where HTA is established. Although an HTA manual is present for guiding the HTA process in India, there is lack of clarity on the HTA information considered for translating evidence into policy or practice. Additionally, there is a dearth of individual capacity to undertake high quality HTA in the country. HTAIn initiative showcases India’s political commitment towards achieving UHC and for HTA. However, there is an imminent need to expand the role of the technical partners and regional resource hubs in capacity building in HTA by involving the private sector in HTA processes.

Healthcare Service Provision Seen through Villager’s Lenses

Social health protection is an essential part of the welfare policy framework. This article discusses twocomponents of Social health protection – direct provision of health care services by the governmentand NGOs; and micro health insurance for covering catastrophic health expenditures. The discussionsections start with the components of direct healthcare service provision at the village level: healthcarecenters, free medicines, health camps, awareness campaigns and health talks and referral services. Thearticle shows that if done properly, all these components are well appreciated by the villagers. They areseen to have no urge to use private facilities, if good facilities established by govt/NGO exist. NSS alsoshows that there is higher utilization of government health services than before.The article shows that quality and affordable healthcare leads to better income, better school attendance,reduction in out of pocket expenditures and minimal dependence on informal health workers. However,the current healthcare service situation in rural India leaves much to be desired. There are problems ofinfrastructure, manpower, training, availability of consumables, and hence lack of trust in governmentservices.Reimbursement of health expenses can address some of these issues but the articles whos that theretoo, the progress is slow and not upto the mark yet. Therefore it is concluded that health care services inIndia need to be upgraded starting from providing very basic facilities like water and electricity.

Medical Tourism: Implications for India

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), an outcome of Bretton Woods Conference, was a trade pact to pursue the objective of free trade in goods. The 8th Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations launched in Punta Del Este in 1986 went well beyond trade in goods and extended to trade in areas like intellectual property, investment and services, resulting in agreements such as TRIPS, TRIMS and GATS. GATS, The General Agreement on Trade in Services, internationalized trade in services and gave a momentum to international trade in services, including healthcare services. The Agreement specifies the four modes of supply of services, one of these being consumption abroad. In this mode a consumer who needs services moves to the country offering the service as in the case of a student going overseas for higher education or a person seeking medical treatment in a foreign country. The GATS gave a boost to medical tourism in some Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and India.This Paper after distinguishing medical tourism from health/wellness tourism, traces the growth of medical tourism in Asian countries and points out the factors contributing to this growth. It then specifically highlights the reasons why India has become the preferred destination for medical tourism. What follows is a critical analysis of the opportunities and challenges posed by medical tourism for India. It concludes by opining that internationalization of healthcare services in India should not be at the cost of health injustice to the Indians, especially for those who need health justice the most!

Prevalence, factors and inequalities in chronic disease multimorbidity among older adults in India: analysis of cross-sectional data from the nationally representative Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI).

ObjectiveThis study examines the prevalence, patterns and factors of chronic disease-related multimorbidity. Also, this study examines the inequality in the prevalence of multimorbidity among older adults in India.DesignCross-sectional study; large nationally representative survey data.Setting and participantsWe have used the first wave of a Longitudinal Ageing Study in India conducted in 2017–2018 across all the 35 states (excluded Sikkim) and union territories in India. This study used information from 31 373 older people aged 60+years in India.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe outcome variable for this study is multimorbidity. The study used multinomial logistic regression to examine the risk factors for multimorbidity among older adults. To measure the inequality in multimorbidity, the slope of index inequality and relative index of inequality have been used to understand the ranked-based inequality.ResultsAlmost one-fourth (24.1%) reported multimorbidity. The relative risk ratio (RRR) of multimorbidity (RRR=2.12; 95% CI=1.49 to 3.04) was higher among higher educated older adults than uneducated older adults. Furthermore, the RRR of multimorbidity (RRR=2.35; 95% CI=2.02 to 2.74) was higher among urban older adults than their rural counterparts. Older adults in the richest wealth quintile were more likely to report multimorbidities (RRR=2.86; 95% CI=2.29 to 3.55) than the poorest older adults. Good self-rated health and no activities of daily living disability were associated with a lower risk of multimorbidities.ConclusionsThis study contributes to the comprehensive knowledge of the prevalence, factors and inequality of the chronic disease-related multimorbidity among older adults in India. Considering India’s ageing population and high prevalence of multimorbidity, the older adults must be preferred in disease prevention and health programmes, however, without compromising other subpopulations in the country. There is a need to develop geriatric healthcare services in India. Additionally, there is a need to disseminate awareness and management of multimorbidity among urban and highly educated older adults.