In order to enhance the prospects of social development, sound and adequate health care policies are needed particularly in the fields of geriatric and maternal health care. Discuss.

Social development plays a major role in enhancing the capacity of demographic dividend. It reduces stress on human capabilities and brings in human resource formation. In order to bring in social development, the healthcare system has to be revamped and developed.

Importance of Maternal Health care:

1. Cognitive and physical development of Infants.

2. Disease to new-born children like sepsis, Meningitis.

3. Different health risk like genetic conditions, STD, Hypertension

4. Infant mortality Rate (283/1000) will be checked.

Importance of Health of Elderly:

1. Half of the elderly in India suffer from chronic disease which requires lifelong medication.

2. With age, there is a higher chance of Immunological and psychiatry disorder.

3. The elderly population is projected to reach 19% by 2050 and 71 % of elderly lives in Rural India

Suggestions:

1. Geriatric pharmacotherapy to be included in the Undergraduate, PG and Nursing course to understand the impact of drugs on elderly.

2. Utilise NGO like Help age India

3. Nutrition, wellbeing, education and sanitation programs for maternal health.

4. The regional inequities with regard to maternal health need to be addressed through improved surveillance and monitoring systems to enable evidence-based policy making, and efficient allocation of resources.

The SDG targets under Goal 4 can’t be achieved without addressing health issues of women and elderly. So, the key to success is awareness, implementation of programs and judicious use of resources.