Changing Health Status and Service Needs: Health Care system in Kerala Saisree K G1, Lathika M2 1Research Scholar, Department of Economics, NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, University of Kerala, India 2Associate Professor, Department of Economics, NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, University of Kerala, India Online published on 7 February, 2018. Abstract Background Health is an important aspect of a society, which needs proper care through governmental and non-governmental interventions. Objectives The paper tried to examine the determinants of health status and health care services in Kerala State. Method This empirical study is categorised as explanatory and comparative analysis based on national and state level secondary data. Findings Some of the health indicators like birth rate and child mortality rate in Kerala showing an unfavourable trend, and in many cases, they are getting lower than the national average. The morbidity rate, especially due to non-communicable diseases is high in Kerala when compared to national level. Malnutrition and under nutrition started rising, which shows that 32.7 percent of women aged between 15–49 years old with anemia, 13 percent children under 3 years who have low birth weight (<2.5 kg), 48.5 percent of children between 6–59 months old with anemia, 34.8 percent adolescent girls 15–18 years old with low BMI (<18.5). Top Keywords Health status, Communicable/Non communicable diseases, Morbidity, Provision of health care, Nutrition. Top |