National Health Mission has curbed several public health concerns, says Centre’s report
- January 23, 2025
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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National Health Mission has curbed several public health concerns, says Centre’s report
Sub : Schemes
Sec: Health
Context:- Listing out the key achievements of the NHM in the past three years, the Central government highlighted lowering of the maternal mortality rate, and incidence of TB and sickle cell anaemia; expansion of human resources and an integrated response to health emergencies
About National Health Mission :
- The National Rural Health Mission was launched in 2005 with the objective of building public health systems to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population, especially the vulnerable groups, up to the District Hospitals (DH) level.
- In 2012, the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) was conceptualized and the NRHM was rechristened as the National Health Mission (NHM) with the two Sub Missions viz. the NRHM and the NUHM.
Progress of NHM (2021-2024)
- Increase in human resources:-
- Engagement of 2.69 lakh healthcare workers in FY 2021-22, increasing to 5.23 lakh in FY 2023-24, including 1.38 lakh Community Health Officers (CHOs).
- Strengthening the public health system:-
- COVID-19 pandemic:- NHM was pivotal in administering over 220 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses between January 2021 and March 2024.
- COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package (ECRP), implemented under NHM in two phases, helped further bolster the healthcare system to effectively manage the pandemic.
- Progress in key health indicators
- Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined significantly from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh in 2018-20, marking a 25% reduction.
- The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has fallen from 39 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 28 in 2020.
- Total Fertility Rate (TFR) decreased from 2.3 in 2015 to 2.0 in 2020, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5)
- Role in elimination and control of various diseases:-
| Disease | Progress (2021–24) |
| TB | Incidence reduced from 237 (2015) to 195 (2023); mortality fell from 28 to 22.(National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme) |
| Malaria | Malaria cases and deaths have declined by 13.28% and 3.22% respectively as compared to 2020 |
| Kala-azar | Elimination achieved in 100% endemic blocks. |
| Sickle Cell Anemia | Over 2.61 crore individuals screened under elimination mission. |
| Dialysis Program | 4.53 lakh patients benefited from 62.35 lakh sessions. The Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) |
| Immunization | Measles-Rubella vaccination achieved 97.98% coverage. (Mission Indradhanush) |
- Digital health initiatives:-
- The launch of the U-WIN platform in January 2023 ensures the timely administration of vaccines to pregnant women, infants, and children across India.
- By the end of FY 2023-24,the platform had expanded to 65 districts across 36 States/UTs, ensuring real-time vaccination tracking and improving immunization coverage.
- Strengthening healthcare infrastructure:-
- Certification of public health facilities under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS).
- The number of operational Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) centers, which provide a range of healthcare services, has increased to 1,72,148 by the end of FY 2023-24.
- Improving emergency services:-
- Establishment of 24×7 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and First Referral Units (FRUs). By March 2024, 12,348 PHCs had been converted to 24×7 services, and 3,133 FRUs were operational across the country
- The fleet of mobile medical units (MMUs) has expanded, with 1,424 MMUs now operating to ensure healthcare access in remote and underserved areas.
- Public awareness campaigns:-
- Addressed pressing public health concerns such as tobacco use and snakebite envenoming under the National Action Plan for Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE).