The Union Cabinet approved a five-year extension for the National Health Mission (NHM) on Wednesday, following a review of its progress over the last three years.
National Health Mission | PTI
Originally launched in 2005 as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the initiative has seen several extensions, with the latest one in 2021, extending it until 2026.
During a cabinet briefing, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized the NHM's considerable impact on public health.
“The mission’s efforts have been integral to India's health improvements, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has played a vital role in ensuring more accessible and quality healthcare services across the country,” a cabinet statement said.
Goyal also mentioned that the National Health Mission's continuous efforts have reshaped India's healthcare landscape, positioning the country to meet its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) health targets well before the 2030 deadline.
Key Achievements and Progress
Since its latest extension in 2021, the NHM has made significant strides in improving maternal and child health, eliminating diseases, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure.
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) decreased by 25%, from 130 per 100,000 live births between 2014-16 to 97 per 100,000 in 2018-20. Likewise, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) fell from 39 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to approximately 28 in 2020.
“These improvements indicate that India is on track to meet its SDG targets for maternal, child, and infant mortality well ahead of 2030,” the statement added.
Between FY22 and FY24, NHM onboarded more than 1.2 million additional healthcare professionals, such as general duty medical officers (GDMOs), specialists, nurses, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), Ayush doctors, allied healthcare workers, and public health managers.
Additionally, the mission was instrumental in the administration of over 2.2 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses from January 2021 to March 2024.
Healthcare Programs and Disease Control
NHM has played a crucial role in lowering the incidence and enhancing the surveillance of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like tuberculosis (TB).
“Under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), the incidence of tuberculosis has reduced from 237 per 100,000 population in 2015 to 195 in 2023, with the mortality rate decreasing from 28 to 22 during the same period,” Goyal noted.
NHM has played a pivotal role in the expansion of important programs such as the Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign, the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme, and the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission.
Comments