National Health Mission (NHM)

GS 2 – GOVERNANCE

Launched: 2013
Objective: To provide universal, affordable, and quality healthcare services, responding to people’s needs.

Key Features:

1. Comprehensive Primary Healthcare:
   • Establishment of Health and Wellness Centers for preventive, curative, and palliative care.
2. Maternal and Child Healthcare:
   • Programs like Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram to promote institutional deliveries and reduce maternal and infant mortality.
3. National Disease Control Programs:
   • Management of communicable and non-communicable diseases, such as the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Program.
4. Free Drugs and Diagnostics:
   • Providing free drugs and diagnostics through the Free Drugs Service Initiative.
5. Strengthening Rural Healthcare:
   • Establishment of Sub-centers and Community Health Centers in rural areas for accessible healthcare.
6. Community Participation:
   • Formation of Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committees for local community involvement in health planning.

Achievements:

1. Reduction in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR):
   • NHM helped reduce MMR by 83% since 1990, from 39 in 2014 to 28 in 2020.
2. Enhanced Birth Control:
   • Reduced the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 2.3 in 2015 to 2.0 in 2020, below the replacement rate (2.1).
3. Improved Healthcare Infrastructure:
   • Increased healthcare workforce, with 5.23 lakh workers in FY 2023-24.
4. Managing Diseases:
   • Strengthened the system to address diseases like Tuberculosis.

Challenges:

1. Human Resource Deficiency:
   • Shortage of 2 million nurses and paramedics.
2. Infrastructural Shortage:
   • India needs 2.4 million more hospital beds to meet WHO standards.
3. Budget Constraints:
   • India allocates only 1.9% of its GDP to healthcare, below the 2.5% target.
4. Regional Disparities:
   • Rural areas, with 68% of the population, have only 23% of the healthcare infrastructure.

Suggestions for Improvement:

1. Enhancing Budget Allocation:
   • Raise healthcare budget to 2.5% of GDP and aim for 3.5%.
2. Fostering Private Investment:
   • Explore funding through healthcare bonds and partnerships with private companies.
3. Long-term Research Investment:
   • Focus on genetic disorders and lifestyle-related health issues through research, e.g., Genome India project.
4. Decentralization of Healthcare:
   • Empower Community Healthcare Centers with autonomy, trained staff, and updated infrastructure.