Karnataka govt's per-capita investment in health lowest among South states

Ambitious-sounding policy conversations notwithstanding, the actual performance of the state in terms of health and nutrition outcomes leaves much to be desired

Karnataka is one of the first Indian states to put a state health policy in place (2004). It has also been a pioneer in government supported health insurance schemes, with Yashaswini (2002) and Vajpayee Aarogyasri (2010) among the first initiatives in India. Among the larger states of India, Karnataka has one of the lowest infant mortality rates (IMR) at 24 per 1,000 live births, barring Kerala, Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. The percentage of births in a health facility has increased dramatically in the last ten years from 65% in