Does our social identity, be it caste, religion, or tribe, affect how long we live? Two papers show that Dalits, Adivasi and Muslims have a disadvantage when it comes to life expectancy as compared to the higher caste Hindus.

In this podcast Suno India’s Menaka Rao spoke to demographers Aashish Gupta, Sangita Vyas, both research fellows at the research institute for compassionate economics or r.i.c.e. While Aashish is a David E Bell Fellow at Harvard University. Sangita is soon-to-be assistant professor at Hunter College, in New York.  Menaka also spoke to Anjela Taneja, Oxfam India Lead Specialist in Health, Education and Inequality to understand how Dalits and tribals are at a disadvantage in India’s health system.

REFERENCES

Large and Persistent Life Expectancy Disparities between India’s Social Groups – Gupta – – Population and Development Review – Wiley Online Library
Social disadvantage, economic inequality, and life expectancy in nine Indian states | PNAS
https://twitter.com/aashishg_/status/1511528303483568131?s=20&t=hcL437GBhqEAvtDeYkmroQ
Securing Rights of Patients in India
http://clinicalestablishments.gov.in/WriteReadData/8431.pdf
Racism and Health | Health Equity | CDC
How Serena Williams Saved Her Own Life
Why do women live longer than men? – Our World in Data