India’s Health Progress

Mains (GS II) - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors

Why in news?

World Health Day, observed annually on 7 April, that highlights global health issues and mobilises action to improve public health outcomes.

What is the theme of World health day 2025?

Initiative by – World Health Organization (WHO) in 1950.
Aim - To highlight pressing global health issues and mobilises action to improve public health outcomes.
It unites governments, institutions, and communities in addressing critical health priorities each year.
Theme of 2025 – Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.
Focus of 2025 – This year focuses on maternal and newborn health and urges governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.

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What is the progress of India in maternal health and child health?

Maternal health improvement - MMR (Maternal Mortality Ratio) in India dropped from 130 (2014-16) to 97 (2018-20) per 1,00,000 live births.
Over last 30 years (1990–2020), MMR declined by 83% in India where as Global MMR reduced by 42% in the same period.

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Child health development
- Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) – Dropped from 39 (2014) to 28 (2020) per 1,000 live births.
- Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) – Dropped from 26 (2014) to 20 (2020) per 1,000 live births.
- Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) - Dropped from 45 (2014) to 32 (2020) per 1,000 live births.

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Government Programmes for Maternal and Child Health

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Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) – To identify causes of maternal deaths and implement corrective actions for improving obstetric care.
Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Portal – It is a digital platform to track pregnant women and newborns, ensuring timely antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care.
Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) – It is a part of POSHAN Abhiyan to focus on testing, treatment, and prevention of anaemia in adolescents and pregnant women.
Birth Waiting Homes (BWH) – To improve access and promote institutional deliveries in remote and tribal areas.

What is India’s progress in affordable health coverage?

Universal health coverage - Under Ayushman Bharat - PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) over 55 crore beneficiaries from India’s economically vulnerable population in the bottom 40% are covered.
Enhanced infrastructure and services – Health and Wellness Centres are designed to improve primary care, yet challenges such as staff shortages, inadequate diagnostic facilities, and irregular medicine supplies continue to exist.

Government Programmes for affordable health coverage

Ayushman Bharat - PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) – Initiated on 2018, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Aim – To provide Insurance up to RS 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) - Launched in February 2018, to transform 1.5 lakh Sub-Centres and Primary Health Centres into HWCs by 2022.

Aim - To deliver comprehensive primary healthcare, focusing on prevention, promotion, and wellness.

What is India’s progress in digital health interventions?

Digital health access - India is experiencing significant progress in digital health and facilitated over 36 crore patients through teleconsultations.

Government Programmes for Digital Health

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) – It is a unified digital health ecosystem (Health Accounts) to connect patients, healthcare providers, and systems through an interoperable digital infrastructure.
- 76 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created under the ABDM
U-WIN – It is a digital vaccination platform that streamlines and tracks immunization for pregnant women and children (0–16 years), under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
e-Sanjeevani – It is the world’s largest telemedicine platform for primary care to bridge gaps in healthcare access by providing free, equitable, and remote medical consultations, emerging as

What is India’s progress in disease elimination & control?

Malaria elimination - As per WHO World Malaria Report 2024, India’s moved from WHO's High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group in 2024.
Trachoma elimination - India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem in 2024.
TB control - As per WHO’s Global TB Report, TB-related deaths in India declined from 28 to 22 per lakh between 2015 and 2023.
Kala-azar Elimination – India has successfully achieved Kala-azar elimination as of October 2024.

Government Programmes for Disease Control

Malaria Elimination Programme – Launched 2016 to establish National Framework for Malaria Elimination.
Aims to eliminate malaria by 2030.
National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme – Launched on 2020 to eliminate tuberculosis in India by 2025
It provoide free diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.
Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan – Launched on 2022, to provide additional support to TB patients.
Kala-azar Elimination Programme – Started in 1990–91, for elimination by 2023.
Trachoma Elimination Programme – Began 1960s under Blindness Control, eliminated 2024.
Focused on treatment, surgery, sanitation to end blindness.

What is India’s progress in mental wellness health interventions?

Recent NIMHANS study revealed that 14% of Indians suffer from some form of mental disorder.

National institute of mental health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) headquartered at Bengaluru aims to deliver mental health care and shape national policies through research.

Tele-MANAS (National Tele-Mental Health Programme) – Launched on October 10, 2022, as a flagship digital mental health initiative.
To provide free, 24/7 mental health support via a toll-free helpline (14416 / 1800-89-14416) in 20 languages.

India’s health objectives are in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3, which emphasises good health and well-being.

What lies ahead?

Leveraging the technological innovation like Artificial intelligence in screening and diagnosis.
Coordinated efforts across government, civil society, and private sectors, to fulfil the vision of ‘Health for All’.
Shifting towards preventive healthcare — through screenings, school-based health programmes, and public health campaigns

Reference

PIB| Strengthening Indian Healthcare for a Resilient Future

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