Public health schemes play an important role in ensuring access to healthcare for vulnerable populations in India. The National Health Mission (NHM) aims to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in rural areas through local infrastructure development and community participation. Understanding the socio-economic profile of NHM beneficiaries can help tailor scheme interventions more effectively. To describe the socio-economic and personal characteristics of beneficiaries of the NHM scheme in Korba district of Chhattisgarh. A descriptive study using primary data collected through interviews of 120 randomly selected NHM beneficiaries in Korba district. Data on demographic profiles, economic status, family characteristics, social participation and information sources was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The majority of beneficiaries belonged to the tribal (45%) and scheduled caste (26.7%) communities. Most had high school level education (35%) and belonged to nuclear families (61.7%). Over half (55.8%) had medium sized families of 5-7 members. The main occupation was housewife (59.2%) and most families had medium annual incomes (43.3%). Beneficiaries routinely accessed health information from ASHA workers (36.7%), AWWs (40%) and the health sub-centre (38.3%). The study provides insights into the socio-economic characteristics of NHM beneficiaries in Korba district. Findings can help district health authorities strengthen targeting and delivery of NHM schemes according to beneficiaries' needs. This study of NHM beneficiaries in Korba district, Chhattisgarh may face limitations due to its small sample size, reliance on self-reported economic data, inability to establish causality with a cross-sectional design, and potential language and literacy barriers during data collection that could be overcome with local interviewers

NHM, Beneficiaries, Socio-economic, ASHA, Education and Public Health Care

In conclusion, this descriptive study provides valuable insights into the socio-economic characteristics of beneficiaries of the National Health Mission scheme in Korba district of Chhattisgarh. It found that most beneficiaries belonged to vulnerable tribal and scheduled caste communities, had high school level education, lived in nuclear families of medium size, and had household occupations with medium annual incomes. Regular access to information sources like ASHA workers, AWWs and health sub-centers was also observed. While the cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, the profiling of beneficiaries can better guide district health authorities in adapting NHM interventions according to the needs and circumstances of intended populations. With larger representative samples, the findings have potential to strengthen the last-mile delivery of public health services to underserved communities through schemes like NHM

Amar Nath Taram, Pratima Shukla and Kavita Koratiya (2023). To Study the Socio-economic and Personal characteristics of the Beneficiaries of NHM Scheme in Korba District of Chhattisgarh. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(12): 513-518.