The land of Meghalaya, known as the abode of clouds, is also a state with the third highest female-headed households in India; out of 4.86 lakh households&rsquo; 24% are solely headed by women (SECC, 2011). Urban women of this land aspire most for higher education compared to the rest of India, shows the latest 75th round NSS survey on education through Gross Enrollment Ratio. Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) measures the proportion of the school-age population enrolled in either primary, secondary, or tertiary education. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) depicts that 54.8% of urban women of this state are registered in post-higher-secondary education, leaving behind the urban women of Himachal Pradesh (48.9%), Kerala (44.9%), Andhra Pradesh (40.2%), Delhi (35.3%), Maharashtra (31.8%), West Bengal (30.9%), Gujrat (27%) and the All-India (33.1%) figures. Urban women in Meghalaya have also preceded the urban males of this state with a GER of 45.9%.
&nbsp;
The figure below depicts the GER for the male and female population for both Rural and Urban areas. Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Manipur have higher GER for the Urban Male population.&nbsp;
In contrast, GER among the female population in&nbsp; Meghalaya, Sikkim, Manipur and Nagaland tops among the northeastern states. For the rural area, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are the only states that are above All-India numbers in GER for both male and female populations.
&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/88dfc87a-eec6-48e9-9d43-23f29cdd3b2e?width=941&amp;height=1206" alt="A2f1" />The figure below shows the top 10 ranking states with the GER in higher education for urban men. The six north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Assam placed themselves among the top ten when the All-India average stands at 34.8%. While the urban men in north-eastern states show progress in GER, there is a stark difference between urban and rural demography.
&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/cf5920a4-c9d8-459d-8438-64339fe4a528?width=282&amp;height=338" alt="A2f2" />
&nbsp;
The figure below the distinction between the urban and rural and urban areas and depicts a glaring divide in terms of GER. The Northeastern states figures for urban male when compared to the gross enrolment ratio post Higher Secondary Level fares much above the India level numbers. Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram are the top five states when the urban area GER is looked at, while GER in the rural areas of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are ahead of All India figures. The GER in rural areas of Mizoram (0.6%) and Meghalaya (5.2%) is not only the lowest among the northeastern states but also when compared to the other states across the nation.
&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/66869a3a-f8f9-43cf-a1eb-f97667c38800?width=381&amp;height=335" alt="A3f3" />
&nbsp;
Finally, we look at the number of colleges per lakh population where students aged from 18-23 years are registered (figure below). These numbers show only Manipur among the northeastern states stands above the All-India figures. While Arunachal Pradesh leads among the north-eastern states based on urban-male and rural-female GER, has 25 colleges in per lakh population. Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura has the lowest number of colleges per lakh population in the north eastern states.
&nbsp;
In India, the GER has been steadily increasing in recent years, particularly at the primary and secondary levels. However, there are still significant disparities between states in terms of enrollment and educational attainment. Education is widely recognized as a key driver of economic growth. It can lead to increased productivity and innovation, higher wages, and greater income equality, and improved social and economic outcomes. Education can also help to reduce poverty which can in turn lead to economic growth.
&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/1a3ed1f0-e756-41f1-83ad-f84cc2e2fa13?width=825&amp;height=825" alt="A4f4" />

Urban Women in Meghalaya and Men are Aiming High for Higher Education

Nestled amidst mist-laden hills, Meghalaya, dubbed the "abode of clouds," boasts India's third-highest prevalence of female-headed households, with 24% led by women. Urban Meghalayan women exhibit an unmatched zeal for higher education, with 54.8% enrolled in post-higher-secondary education, outshining national averages. Notably, urban females surpass urban males in GER, signaling a paradigm shift. Despite educational fervor, the state grapples with infrastructural challenges, particularly a dearth of colleges in rural areas. Yet, the upward trajectory of GER promises a brighter future, with education serving as the cornerstone of societal advancement, poised to unlock economic prosperity and social equity amidst Meghalaya's enchanting landscape.

Meghalaya is known for its picturesque beauty and cleanliness. Spread over an area of 22, 429 Sq.Km. on the eastern sub-Himalayas, it shares the international border with Bangladesh on the South and West sides; on the North and the East boundaries is the state of Assam. It lies in the extreme eastern part of the great Himalayas. Here the Himalayas give way to smaller ranges that extend along India's borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Jaintia, Garo and Khasi Hills are branches of the range in the west. Collectively, they form the famous Shillong (Meghalaya) Plateau. Many rivers and streams flow out of the plateau, creating deep, narrow, steep-sided valleys making it a biodiversity hub and a tourist attraction.
&nbsp;
Meghalaya acquired statehood on January 21, 1972, paving a new era of development and governance. The state government prioritises education, health, sports, business, and the environment with a people-first approach. In Meghalaya, almost 80.4% is rural population, higher than all India figures of 72.2 %. According to a Department of Planning, Government of Meghalaya report of 2008 &ldquo;Rural Meghalaya is marked by a high incidence of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, poor infrastructure and absence of basic facilities&rdquo;. But with Rural Development in Meghalaya on Mission mode, let&rsquo;s see what statistics say.
&nbsp;
The socio- economic characteristics of the household population describes their living conditions. In my opinion, the best way to judge the living conditions of any society is by looking into four parameters i.e., access to clean drinking water, sanitation conditions, clean fuel for cooking and electricity. Let us have a look at the access of people in different districts of Meghalaya to these four parameters. The National Family Health Survey-5 data is insightful. See the story of how households in Meghalaya have moved from 2014-15 (NFHS-4) to 2019-20.
&nbsp;
Access to Clean Drinking Water
&nbsp;
People use water from varied sources for drinking and other household chores. Clean water or improved sources of water protects against outside contamination, making it safer for human consumption. These sources in rural areas include piped water, public taps, standpipes, tube wells, boreholes, protected dug wells and springs, rainwater, tanker truck, cart with small tank, bottled water, and community reverse osmosis (RO) plants. Meghalaya is proud to be the first state in the country to implement the Water Policy.
&nbsp;
Refer to Fig 1: In Meghalaya, only three out of total eleven districts i.e., East Khasi Hills, South Garo Hills and Ribhoi had access to improved drinking-water till 2014-15. But within next 5 years by 2019-20 the entire state had access to clean drinking water source though the variation is wide, from 90% in East Khasi to mere 51.50% in North Garo Hills (Figure 1).
&nbsp;
Figure 1: Access to Clean Drinking-Water Source
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/e51f7165-18f3-4a10-8054-e2a7327caf5e?width=825&amp;height=620" alt="A1f1" />
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The story of South Garo Hills&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; needs attention. While 72.70% households had access to improved drinking-water source in 2014-15, the percentage decreased to 60.40% in 2019-20.
Three districts - North Garo Hills (51.50%), South West Garo Hills (58.60%) and South Garo Hills (60.40%) have only over half of the households with improved source of drinking-water. (Fig 1)
On national level, 99% urban and 96% of rural households use an improved source of drinking water. Most rural Indian households (68%) have water on their premises. Those who do not have, send family members, mostly females aged 15 years and above to collect water.
&nbsp;
Sanitation Conditions:
&nbsp;
Sanitation is one of the basic needs just like other amenities like clean drinking water, health services, food, and shelter. Though under the NFHS-5 survey, this indicator does not denote access to toilet facility, but it talks about households using sanitation system in some form which is not shared with any other household.
&nbsp;
Figure 2: Improved Sanitation Facility in Households
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/3ea979d0-e85a-48a6-bfb6-e67052c09448?width=898&amp;height=675" alt="A1f2" />
&nbsp;
As Fig 2 shows, in 2015-16, majority of the population in South Garo Hills (86.50%), East Khasi Hills (67.8%) and Ribhoi (58.1%) had improved sanitation facility. But by the year 2020, 80% households in all districts had the sanitation facility except for West Jaintia Hills (75.1%) and South West Garo Hills (71.4%).
&nbsp;
Clean Fuel for Cooking
&nbsp;
In Meghalaya till 2014-15, only 3 of the 11 districts then, namely East Khasi Hills, the South Garo Hills and Ribhoi had access to clean fuel for cooking purposes. The respective percentages of households having clean fuel for cooking like electricity, LPG/natural gas, biogas was 43.1, 8.8 and 8.6. (Fig 3)
&nbsp;
Figure 3: Access to Clean Fuel for Cooking across Meghalaya
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/683c1e28-745b-4140-95f3-e218a572f006?width=818&amp;height=614" alt="A1f3" />
&nbsp;
The government&rsquo;s initiative subsequently led to greater and wider use of clean fuel for cooking in all the districts of Meghalaya. As the Figure 3 shows, by the year 2020, this figure increased to more than 47% in East Khasi and South Garo Hills to 8.60% in the West Khasi Hills. However, there is too much variation in the households with access to clean fuel.
&nbsp;
Noteworthy is the fact that West Garo Hills region have zero access till 2015 but within the next 5 years this region was leading in this sector. In the same report (NHFS-5) all India Statistics show only 59% of households used clean fuel.
&nbsp;
Electricity in Households
&nbsp;
By 2020, households in all eleven districts had electricity. The percentage households having the electricity supply varied from 85% in West Khasi Hills to 98.6% in South Garo Hills. This shows much wider access of electricity in 2020 as compared to 2014-15 when households of only three districts, South Garo Hills (99%), East Khasi Hills (96%), and Ribhoi (86.70%) had electricity. (Fig 4)
&nbsp;
Figure 4: Population living in households with Electricity
&nbsp;
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/23efe82a-6917-4286-bb4d-9c300dc6a368?width=825&amp;height=620" alt="A1f4" />
&nbsp;
A look at the data on national level shows the percentage of population in households with electricity increased from 88 in 2014-15 to 98.6 in 2019-20. The total population in households with electricity I rural India was 95.7%. Meghalaya very well replicates the national success in the supply of electricity to households. (Fig 4)
&nbsp;
In Fig 5, all the above data on select 4 socio-economic characteristics have been shown at one place. This figure clearly shows that till 2014-15 there was a wide disparity in amenities available for residents in the eleven districts of Meghalaya. During this period all efforts were visible in three districts only. But subsequently, the efforts were expanded to cover all the districts in the state so that benefits reached the 'last mile'.
&nbsp;
Figure 5: Household with access to Clean Water, Sanitation, Clean Fuel, and Electricity
&nbsp;
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/3d57fcd7-f74f-479f-84e9-4373ecd02191?width=574&amp;height=270" alt="A1f5" />
&nbsp;
As a result, by 2020 all the districts had better access to all the above amenities. But there is wide variation in the percentages of access in different districts. This point needs a thorough study.
&nbsp;
To achieve 100 percent mark for the above four parameters there is a need to identify regions where the schemes have not shown the desired results, evaluate the schemes progress at micro level, strategize interventions and address the disparity and achieve quality living uniformly. Here are some of the crucial implications*. (Fig 6)
&nbsp;
Figure 6: Evidence-based policymaking: Analysing the data collected regularly over time can be instrumental for better decision-making.
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/e26aabfb-6ca4-4861-a3a1-0cf08ada92d6?width=1980&amp;height=1168" alt="A1f6" />
&nbsp;
Identification of regions in need of attention:&nbsp; The district-level estimates provided in the report can help policymakers identify areas within the state where ongoing schemes are yet to show desired results and target interventions accordingly.
Micro-monitor progress: The district-level monitoring of the government schemes' progress on select indicators over time can help policymakers evaluate the effectiveness of programs.
Addressing disparities: The report highlights disparities in key indicators across different districts in the state, and working on the select lines can help achieve quality living uniformly.
&nbsp;
Overall, there has been substantial progress from 2014-15 to 2020. It also highlights the areas where further improvements are needed to ensure basic amenities reach the 'last mile' and achieve the 100% mark.
&nbsp;
This description provides valuable information for policy decisions and guide interventions to improve the well-being of people on Meghalaya.
&nbsp;
References:
<a href="https://megplanning.gov.in/MSDR/rural_development.pdf">https://megplanning.gov.in/MSDR/rural_development.pdf</a>
<a href="https://main.mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/NFHS-5_Phase-II_0.pdf">https://main.mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/NFHS-5_Phase-II_0.pdf</a>
&nbsp;
<iframe src="//plotly.com/~syamkakarla98/41.embed" width="900" height="800" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Meghalaya: Who all have access to Clean Water, Sanitation, Clean Fuel, and Electricity?


Meghalaya, known for its pristine beauty and spanning 22,429 Sq.Km. in the eastern sub-Himalayas, shares borders with Bangladesh and Assam. Nestled amidst the eastern Himalayas, it's a biodiversity hotspot, with the Jaintia, Garo, and Khasi Hills forming the famous Shillong Plateau. Acquiring statehood on January 21, 1972, Meghalaya prioritizes education, health, and rural development, despite challenges like poverty and poor infrastructure. Analyzing socio-economic parameters, access to clean drinking water, sanitation, clean fuel, and electricity reflects progress from 2014-15 to 2019-20. Yet, addressing regional disparities and achieving uniform quality living remains pivotal for the state's holistic development.

World Health Day is observed on April 7 every year as a campaign to maintain focus on health. This day commemorates the establishment of WHO (World Health Organisation). Marking the 75th year of WHO's inception, the theme this year is " Health for All".
&nbsp;
Using data visualizations as a tool, this is an attempt to provide a descriptive analysis of the Health Sector of Meghalaya. Meghalaya is predominantly a rural state with almost 80.4 percent <a href="https://megplanning.gov.in/MSDR/rural_development.pdf">rural population</a>. Of the total population of Meghalaya i.e., 2,318,822, <a href="https://tribal.nic.in/ST/Statistics8518.pdf">86.1 percent</a> is Scheduled Tribes. The ethnic groups &lsquo;Khasi, Gharo, and Jantia&rsquo; and many similar smaller communities are its natural inhabitants.
&nbsp;
<h1>Health Infrastructure in Rural and Tribal Area:</h1>
&nbsp;
I refer to the <a href="https://main.mohfw.gov.in/basicpage-14">NHFS 5</a> (National Family Health Survey 5) and <a href="https://main.mohfw.gov.in/newshighlights-90">Rural Health Statistics data</a> (as of March 31, 2021) here. Under Rural Health Mission, a three-tier system is followed in India. The Sub-Centers, Primary Health Centres, and Community Health Centres form these three tiers.
&nbsp;
There are substantial SCs in rural and tribal areas, as shown in Figure 1, but they are peripheral services with no qualified doctor. I want to draw attention to the 28 CHCs catering to the medical needs of the 1,864,711 rural population in Meghalaya. Technically, only the CHCs are equipped with specialists and paramedical facilities. Considering this region's rugged terrain and scattered settlements, one wonders if they can be any significant relief. More functional CHCs and better-equipped Sub Centres could give a brighter picture. Since there is already a well-oiled system at the very first level, capacity building and regular training to upskill the health workers can help.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Figure 1: Functional Health Centres in Meghalaya as of 31st March 2021
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/545c7126-5c93-4aa2-979b-e06332248188?width=410&amp;height=307" alt="A3f1" />
&nbsp;
And I say this because the sub-centers form the most peripheral and first contact point between the primary health care system and the community. PHC, the Public Health Centre, is the first contact point between the village community and the medical officer. They provide mere curative, preventive, promotive, and family welfare services. The CHCs are mandated to have medical specialists, are supported by paramedical staff, and are well-equipped. The pyramid below provides an ample description of the functionalities of CHCs and PHCs.
&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/ff98e49c-78da-4e73-a8e4-a61218ce4505?width=800&amp;height=400" alt="Screenshot 2023 05 20 at 12.16.14 Pm" />
&nbsp;
<h2>Population Norms for Health Care Infrastructure: Identifying the Gaps</h2>
&nbsp;
Figure 2 shows the functional healthcare centers catering to the population across the country. Though the number of Sub Centres available for the population is decently placed compared to the national scenario, the available CHC here is amongst the lowest. It cannot be ignored that SCs do not have any doctors or other medical facilities like pharmacies, testing labs of any kind, or even a bed for patients. Health workers/ ANM are all that is available there. And these facilities are for 80.4% (1,864,711) of the total&nbsp;<a href="https://megplanning.gov.in/MSDR/rural_development.pdf">population of Meghalaya</a>&nbsp;(2,318,822).
&nbsp;
Figure 2: The average rural population (mid-year population as of 1st July 2021) as of March 2021
&nbsp;
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/c6836bad-0f1f-4c92-830c-44108d5d66fd?width=464&amp;height=224" alt="A3f3" />
&nbsp;
On the first instance, the spread of health infrastructure against the population norms set by the Government gives a positive feel. There is functional SC for every 5000-7000 people in rural/tribal regions, 1 PHC for 20,000-30,000 population, and 1 CHC for up to 100,000 population in rural Meghalaya. Look at
&nbsp;
Table 1: The healthcare facility available: the standard population norms vs average rural population (mid-year population as of 1st July 2021) as of March 2021 in Meghalaya
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f8cac6; border-color: #000000; border-style: solid; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 35.4767%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 30.1413%;" rowspan="2" width="178">
Centre
</td>
<td style="width: 41.2873%;" colspan="2" width="219">
Population Norms*
</td>
<td style="width: 28.5714%;" rowspan="2" width="170">
Population Coverage in Rural Meghalaya**
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 15.0706%;" width="89">
Plain Areas
</td>
<td style="width: 26.2166%;" width="130">
Hilly/Tribal/Difficult Area
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 30.1413%;" width="178">
Sub Centre
</td>
<td style="width: 15.0706%;" width="89">
5000
</td>
<td style="width: 26.2166%;" width="130">
3000
</td>
<td style="width: 28.5714%;" width="170">
5000-7000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 30.1413%;" width="178">
Primary Health Centre
</td>
<td style="width: 15.0706%;" width="89">
30000
</td>
<td style="width: 26.2166%;" width="130">
20000
</td>
<td style="width: 28.5714%;" width="170">
20000-30000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 30.1413%;" width="178">
Community Health Centre
</td>
<td style="width: 15.0706%;" width="89">
120000
</td>
<td style="width: 26.2166%;" width="130">
80000
</td>
<td style="width: 28.5714%;" width="170">
0-100000
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Number of persons covered under the services of a particular Facility (SC, PHC &amp; CHC)
** The average rural population (mid-year population as of 1st July 2021) covered by centers as of March 2021
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h1>Healthcare Professionals:</h1>
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Tribal Region:</h2>
&nbsp;
No specialist at any of the 28 CHCs and only 1 physician says it all. The story of the health and well-being facility provided to the treasured tribal community in this land of 'Shyllong'*** seeks action, not words. The shortage of paramedical staff is significant. Evident as it is, female health workers run the rural health system here. Remember, the rural health system is the responsibility of the state government. Check out these gaps in Figure 4 below
&nbsp;
Figure 4: Healthcare Professionals in Tribal area: In-Position vs Required numbers.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/42c35a29-6339-4e59-b85d-d73561ef19dc?width=753&amp;height=565" alt="A3f4" />
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Rural-Urban Divide: </h2>
&nbsp;
It would be unfair to overlook the rural-urban divide for the spread of medical facilities, especially if the intention is to look at the plugin areas to achieve &lsquo;Health for All&rsquo;. The situation is similar in both rural and urban Meghalaya. With only three specialists, the ground reality is grim. The paramedical expertise is also way below the recommended mark. See for yourself the visualization in Figure 5
Figure 5: &nbsp;Healthcare Professionals in rural and urban areas: In-Position vs Required Numbers
&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/6a7d0bf1-36a8-45b9-bc95-c15ee36d2ea0?width=735&amp;height=535" alt="A3f5" />
The latest health manpower, as of March 2023, shows 267 specialists but does not specify how many are placed in the rural/tribal regions. Incidentally, Meghalaya has only one government medical college, North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong, established in 2008, and 16 District Hospitals. There is no private medical college.
Table 2: Health Manpower In-Position in Meghalaya as of March 2023
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f8cac6; border-color: #000000; border-style: double; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="170">
General Duty Doctors &amp; Common duty doctors
</td>
<td width="91">
673
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="170">
Specialists
</td>
<td width="91">
287
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="170">
Dental Surgeons
</td>
<td width="91">
71
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="170">
Ayush Physicians
</td>
<td width="91">
26
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="170">
Staff Nurses
</td>
<td width="91">
1246
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="170">
ANMs
</td>
<td width="91">
938
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Medical Health Insurance: </h2>
&nbsp;
Moving to health insurance, the status is encouraging. There is a marked shift in households taking health insurance in five years from 2014-15 to 2019-20. Figure 6 shows the distribution at the district level.
&nbsp;
Figure 6: Health Insurance Coverage of Households by State/UT Percentage of households with at least one member covered by a health scheme or health insurance.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/d7c447b7-b970-4639-8f36-ce2eb9a26468?width=580&amp;height=314" alt="A3f6" />
&nbsp;
Figure 7: Percentage of households with at least one member covered by a health scheme or health insurance.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://content.meghalayadataportal.com/assets/8a1c69a5-4e9c-4989-a576-b3f2eceeed30?width=500&amp;height=300" alt="A3f7" />
&nbsp;
On the health insurance front, at the National level, Meghalaya is among the top-performing states at 6th position in pan Indian ranking, even above the national percentage. Look at the data from NFHS-5 for 2020-21. Figure 7 below is from the report.
&nbsp;
The state has a rural population higher than the all-India figures of 72.2 per cent. Overall, hospitals are spread to cover as many districts as possible. And the State Health Mission set up under the Chief Minister oversees the implementation of the NRHM. But the land's topography makes the task challenging. Putting infrastructure alone does not mean the system is solving the purpose. Skilled manpower is equally, if not more, crucial. Having trained human resources in the rural belt is a challenge. The health workers deployed at Sub Centres may be upskilled with regular capacity-building initiatives designed for them. For the specialists, the incentives must be lucrative, or the mindset must be of an activist to get trained dedicated human resources in rural areas. Policy changes must be implemented to meet the challenge of getting trained medical specialists in rural areas. Only a robust Rural Health Infrastructure and qualified healthcare staff deployment on a mission mode can help achieve 'Health for All'. And so is true for Meghalaya.
&nbsp;
References:
<a href="https://megplanning.gov.in/MSDR/rural_development.pdf">https://megplanning.gov.in/MSDR/rural_development.pdf</a>
<a href="https://tribal.nic.in/ST/Statistics8518.pdf">https://tribal.nic.in/ST/Statistics8518.pdf</a>
***<a href="https://www.ohmeghalaya.com/u-lum-shyllong/">https://www.ohmeghalaya.com/u-lum-shyllong/</a>
<a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1823047">https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1823047</a>
<a href="http://rchiips.org/nfhs/">http://rchiips.org/nfhs/</a>
<a href="https://meghealth.gov.in/index.html">https://meghealth.gov.in/index.html</a>

Meghalaya’s Rural Health Infrastructure, a picture with numbers

World Health Day, observed annually on April 7, commemorates the establishment of the World Health Organization (WHO), this year marking its 75th year with the theme "Health for All". Using data visualizations, this analysis sheds light on Meghalaya's health sector. With a rural population of 80.4%, predominantly tribal, and 86.1% Scheduled Tribes, the state faces unique health challenges. Rural health infrastructure, primarily comprising Sub-Centers and Community Health Centers (CHCs), struggles to meet the population's needs. Despite some functional facilities, like Sub-Centers, lacking qualified doctors, there's progress in health insurance coverage. However, bridging the rural-urban healthcare divide and ensuring skilled manpower deployment remain crucial for achieving 'Health for All' in Meghalaya.