Name: Vardana Sony Dinakar Rao
Country: India

Year: 2026
Volume: Volume-11, (Special Issue: March 2026)
Page Number: 448-460
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20525059

ABSTRACT
Healthcare awareness constitutes an important determinant of healthcare accessibility and healthcare utilization among vulnerable urban populations. In India, rapid urbanization and expansion of slum settlements have intensified healthcare inequalities, particularly among economically weaker urban households characterized by low educational attainment, unstable employment conditions, migration-related vulnerabilities, and inadequate social protection mechanisms. Although public healthcare infrastructure in urban areas has expanded considerably during recent decades, inadequate healthcare awareness continues to affect preventive healthcare participation, maternal healthcare utilization, immunization coverage, and continuity of healthcare services among urban poor populations.

The Government of India introduced the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) with the objective of strengthening urban primary healthcare systems and improving healthcare accessibility among vulnerable urban communities residing in slums and informal settlements. Through Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs), ASHA workers, ANM personnel, preventive healthcare programmes, and healthcare outreach activities, NUHM seeks to improve healthcare awareness and healthcare utilization among economically weaker urban households.

The present study examines healthcare awareness and utilization of Urban Primary Health Centres among urban slum households in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. The study is based on both primary and secondary data collected from 580 respondents including urban slum households, healthcare providers, ASHA workers, ANM personnel, and administrative staff functioning under NUHM. Statistical techniques such as percentage analysis, regression analysis, Chi-Square test, correlation analysis, and ANOVA were employed using SPSS software for empirical interpretation and hypothesis testing.

The findings reveal that healthcare awareness significantly influenced utilization of Urban Primary Health Centres among respondents. ASHA workers and ANM personnel played a major role in strengthening healthcare awareness, maternal healthcare participation, preventive healthcare behaviour, and immunization coverage among urban slum households. The study further observed that educational attainment, healthcare outreach activities, and household income positively influenced healthcare awareness and healthcare utilization patterns. However, migration-related vulnerabilities, overcrowding, inadequate healthcare outreach systems, and socio-economic inequalities continued to affect healthcare accessibility among vulnerable urban populations.

The study concludes that strengthening healthcare outreach systems, expanding community healthcare awareness programmes, improving institutional efficiency of Urban Primary Health Centres, and strengthening support mechanisms for frontline healthcare workers are essential for improving urban healthcare governance and equitable healthcare accessibility under the National Urban Health Mission.

Keywords: Healthcare Awareness, Urban Primary Health Centres, National Urban Health Mission, Urban Slums, Healthcare Utilization, Public Health, Healthcare Accessibility, Kurnool District.