• Dr.P.M.GOPINATH

The world’s population living in towns and cities surpassed 50% for the first time in history in 2007, and this proportion is growing. Most of this growth will occur in low- and middle-income countries. Currently, urbanization is occurring fastest in Africa, and involves the largest number of people in Asia. urban living continues to offer many opportunities, including potential access to better health care, today’s urban environments can concentrate health risks, magnify the consequences, and introduce new hazards. The impact of urbanization on population health, health equity and the environment are become key concerns for national and municipal authorities. Urban HEART is a tool intended to give policy-makers and key stakeholders at national and local levels a user-friendly guide to assess and respond to urban health inequities. It is currently being pilot-tested in many developed and developing countries. Urban HEART guides a systematic assessment of unfair health conditions in the urban setting by reviewing evidence on key health outcomes and major health determinants grouped within four major policy domains. This study is one of the exploratory research, provides insights into and comprehension of an health inequity. In this study five districts were chosen namely Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Thanjavur and Theni. The following health outcomes and determinants were chosen. Health outcomes like Maternal mortality, Perinatal mortality and Under 5 mortality were chosen. Health determinants like Access to drinking water, Literacy rate, Employment rate, Voters’ participation, Homicide, HIV prevalence and urban population growth were chosen. The data was collected for the health outcome and the determinants from the five chosen cities for the year 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and projection for 2010. There are two main tools used to assess and analyze health equity: Urban Health Equity Monitor (Monitor) enables policy and decision makers to plot health indicator. Urban Health Equity Matrix presents a broad comparison of the performance of cities across health determinant indicators from the four policy domains. From the matrix we derive that there exists inequities of health outcomes and determinants among the five cities analysed. Some of the indicators show the achievement of near targets while some indicators shows poor performance throughout the state. The results are discussed and suitable suggestions are given. The analysis will be extended throughout the 32 districts of Tamil nadu and it can be taken up to national level with intra and interstate analysis in future.

"EVALUATION OF HEALTH EQUITY ASSESSMENT & RESPONSE TOOL IN TAMIL NADU", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 1, page no.302-310, January-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1901137.pdf

"EVALUATION OF HEALTH EQUITY ASSESSMENT & RESPONSE TOOL IN TAMIL NADU", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 1, page no. pp302-310, January-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1901137.pdf