Regional Variations

Uttar Pradesh is marked with distinct variations not only in geographic and socio-economic patterns but also in morbidity patterns, availability of and functional status of health services. The province is officially divided into four different socio-economic-planning regions: Western, Central, Eastern and Bundelkhand regions.

Western Region

This regions is situated in Ganga-Yamuna doab and has a well-knit canal system, ensuring irrigation in this Green Revolution zone. The economy of this region depends to a great extent on cultivation of sugarcane and other cash crops and a large network of sugar factories and other agro industries. Though this region is economically more prosperous than rest of the state, it poses host of other problems and challenges. The area has manifested caste and marked gender discrimination. In this modern age when one talks of the women's empowerment, the status of women in this area is deplorable. The practice of female foeticide has grown with advent of modern technology. Besides this women are also subjected to purdah and other forms of oppressions.

On the health front, one of the pressing problems is that excessive use of fertilisers, pesticides and fungicides, alongside mounting problem of industrial effluents are causing problem of environmental pollution and related diseases. The area also faces the problem of child labour in various small cottage industries like pottery (Khurja), bangle making (Ferozabad), lock making (Aligarh), brassware (Moradabad) and beedi making (Amroha). Apart from these brick kilns and tiles industries, which have been declared as hazardous to health and prohibited for child labour dot the region. Alcoholism and drug abuse are also rampant in the area.

Central Region

In the central region, the once premier industrial city Kanpur has reported severest industrial pollution and high incidence of tuberculosis. Lucknow faces the severe problem of water and air pollution. The slums, many of which are not even recognised, are growing at a very rapid pace with inflow of rural poor due to unemployment in the rural areas. In the recent years there are reports water logging is creating environment for water borne diseases like malaria, diarrhoea and Japanese encephalitis.

Eastern Region

With high population density this region along with Bundelkhand region is recognised as the most backward region of the province. It is marked with high illiteracy, poverty, social deprivation and poor health status of the population. The carpet industry in six districts Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Sonbhadra and Allahabad poses health threat to the weavers involved in the industry. As very few occupation options are available, people are forced to migrate to the cities to make a living. Besides communicable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis, diarrhoea, dysentry, or iodine and vitamin A deficiencies, the population is also vulnerable to HIV and AIDS due to large scale single male migration.

Bundelkhand Region

Scarcity of water, deficit food production, bonded labour system, occupational health hazards caused due to working in silica mines and stone queries, and exploitation of labour class are major problems of the area. A major chunk of the tribal population of the state resides in this area. They are living in abject poverty, and malnutrition especially among children is rampant. The tribals have been victims of displacement caused due to industrialisation of Sonbhadra district. The prevailing circumstances have forced poor children to work as child labour.