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The National Health Mission (NHM) has significantly improved Public Health in India.

About National Health Mission (NHM)

It was launched in 2013 by combining the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality healthcare to all people.

The NRHM was launched in 2005 and NUHM was introduced in 2012. 

Objectives

• To provide universal access to healthcare services. 
• To improve the health of mothers, newborns, and children. 
• To improve the health of people with communicable and non-communicable diseases. 

It improved public health by reducing maternal mortality, lowering the incidence of tuberculosis (TB), and controlling sickle cell anemia. It has expanded human resources in healthcare and promoted a strong response to health emergencies.

Growth of healthcare human resources

In FY 2021-22, 2.69 lakh new healthcare workers, including 90,740 community health officers (CHOs), were added. The number grew with 4.21 lakh workers engaged in FY 2022-23 and 5.23 lakh in FY 2023-24.  

Reducing maternal and child mortality rates

The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has dropped by 83% since 1990, surpassing the global decline of 45%.

In 2018–2020, the MMR was 97 per 100,000 live births.

The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) decreased from 39 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 28 in 2020.

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen from 2.3 in 2015 to 2.0 in 2020.

Overall India made significant progress towards meeting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals for maternal and child health.

Control and elimination of diseases

NHM has contributed in controlling and eliminating various diseases. For example, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) reduced from 237 per 1,00,000 people in 2015 to 195 in 2023.

Malaria cases and deaths decreased by 13.28% and 3.22%, respectively, in 2021 compared to 2020.

Efforts to eliminate Kala-Azar reached the target of fewer than one case per 10,000 people in endemic areas by 2023.

Vaccination achievements  

The Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign, part of the Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0, vaccinated 34.77 crore children, achieving a coverage rate of 97.98%.

Over 220 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered between January 2021 and March 2024, highlighting NHM’s role in combating the pandemic.

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic

NHM played an active role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by administering over 220 crore vaccine doses through the India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package (ECRP).

Specialized health initiatives

The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, which mobilized 1.56 lakh Ni-kshay Mitra volunteers to support TB patients.

The Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) provided over 62.35 lakh hemodialysis sessions to 4.53 lakh patients in FY 2023-24.

The National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission screened over 2.61 crore individuals in tribal areas.

Digital Innovations  

The U-WIN platform was launched in January 2023 to track vaccinations in real-time, covering 65 districts by FY 2023-24. It simplified vaccination efforts, ensuring better coverage and monitoring.

Healthcare Infrastructure

By FY 2023-24, a total of 7,998 public health facilities were certified under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS).

1.72 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandir centers were operational, and 12,348 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and 3,133 First Referral Units (FRUs) began offering 24x7 services.

The number of Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) expanded to 1,424, supported by a dedicated MMU portal launched in 2023.

Conclusion

NHM has played an important role in helping India to meet its SDGs, with significant reductions in maternal mortality, infant mortality, and fertility rates, it is on track to achieve these goals ahead of the 2030 target.

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Source: 

THE HINDU