This is a one year research projected funded by International Development Research Centre ( IDRC), Canada through Achutha Menon Center for Health Science Studies ( AMCHSS), Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala has been in the forefront of development with remarkable efforts in framing policies on health, education and employment. However significant gaps can be observed in the utilization of the delivery systems and reasons are manifold and can vary according to the socio-economic, cultural and educational contexts to which the population belongs. One of the glaring inequities in the present scenario is that seen in maternal and child health. The previous studies in this area has tried to establish inequities in health status and health care utilization but their focus was restricted to certain district like Wayanad or Palakkad. Also, the interplay of both provider side and the consumer side factors responsible for the inequity were not explored in these studies. These factors need to be identified in order to device proper intervention to control the present situation.

The study, Exploring health inequity by assessing the nature of healthcare utilization and its correlates among the tribal population of Kerala, attempts to give a holistic picture of the nature of health inequities in the tribal population in Kerala in terms of service provision and acquisition. This study also attempts to look at the policies enacted by the state to address these health inequities. The primary objective of the study is to explore the nature of health care utilization by assessing Ante natal care services, immunization services and supplementary nutrition services among tribal and non tribal population of Kerala. The study intends to use both quantitative and qualitative tools to bring out the differences in health care utilization among tribal and non tribal population and the factors contributing to the inequities. Further, the study also attempts to describe how policy and the health care system have addressed these issues.