State, Civil Society and the Politics of Health

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the discourse on health in India, examining governance, policies, programmes, and the involvement of the state and civil society in ensuring health for all and especially for people living with HIV/AIDS. The book critically examines government measures to improve healthcare services in India, specifically for disadvantaged groups like the poor and women who face several obstacles in accessing healthcare. It explores various aspects of healthcare accessibility, gender equity measures and strategies implemented by the state and highlights the significant contributions of civil society organizations and activists in shaping healthcare provisions, as well as their influence on the discourse surrounding health and HIV/AIDS. With a special study based on the author's research on HIV-positive women in Karnataka (a high-prevalence state) and West Bengal (a low-prevalence state), and an examination of government policies, financial allocations, and relevant reports, this book fills a crucial gap in academic literature by offering a comprehensive analysis of health and governance in relation to HIV-positive women, in India. The book will be a valuable resource for students and researchers in public health, policy studies, community health, gender studies, sociology of health and illness, and Indian government and politics. It will also be useful for policymakers in the development of more effective and inclusive healthcare policies.

Skylab Sahu is an Assistant Professor, she teaches at Miranda House, University of Delhi and also engages in research on issues such as development, governance, gender, state, civil society, and policy. She has published several research papers in refereed journals and has presented a number of papers in national and international conferences. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Swedish Collegium for Advanced Studies,SCAS, Uppsala University, Sweden from 2022-2023, worked on Informal migrant labour's Rights.

List of Tables. List of Abbreviations. Acknowledgements. Introduction 1. Health Discourse in India 2. The State and Women's Health in India 3. Gender, Power and Sexuality: Women's Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS 4. The State's Approach to HIV/AIDS: A Gender and Health Rights Perspective 5. Addressing the Rights of HIV-Positive Women: Interventions by Civil Society Organizations 6. Health Movements in India 7. Conclusion Bibliography. Index.