AbstractThe following paper highlights the condition of women and child health in Bihar and Jharkhand. The Government of India and the state government are providing different kind of health facilities to these states, but still the urban and rural poor lead a wretched and deprived life. The main reason for this is poverty and lack of education. Although facilities are provided, the poor are unable to avail then due to lack of awareness which is due to lack of education. When we compare the data in Bihar and Jharkhand, we find that 78 percent of children between 6 to 59 months of age and 67 percent women in Bihar and 70 percent of children between the age group of 6 to 59 months and 73 percent of women in Jharkhand are suffering from mild or severe anemia (NFHS-3). From nutritional point of view, we find that more than half of the children in Bihar and Jharkhand are either wasted, underweight, or stunted. Same is the case with adults. The ICD facilities which are provided by the government are not availed properly by the poor. So, along with the services, government should also try to create awareness among the poor so that they could utilize the services properly.
Key Words: Bihar; Jharkhand; women; child; National Family and Health Survey (NFHS)