For the purpose of health systems strengthening in urban and rural areas, the Indian government launched the National Health Mission (NHM) in 2013. NHM encompasses two sub-missions, namely National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission. The government extended it in March 2018, to continue until March 2020.
(Note: Information listed in this page has been sourced from the website of National Health Mission.)
Launched in April 2005, the National Rural Health Mission focuses on providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to the rural population, particularly the vulnerable groups. Under the National Rural Health Mission, the Empowered Action Group States and the North Eastern States, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are given special focus. The mission aims to establish a fully functional, community-owned, decentralized health delivery system, with inter-sectoral convergence at every level. This has been undertaken to ensure simultaneous action on a range of determinants of health, like water, sanitation, nutrition, education, social and gender equality.
NUHM seeks to improve the health status of the urban population, especially slum dwellers and other vulnerable sections, by providing them access to quality primary healthcare. National Urban Health Mission covers all district headquarters, state capital and other cities whose population is over 50,000 (as per census 2011) in a phased manner. Cities and towns whose population is less than 50,000 are covered under NRHM.
Features of National Health Mission
The features of National Health Mission are as follows:
Benefits of National Health Mission
The benefits of National Health Mission are as follows:
Improving the health of mothers and their children as well as ensuring their survival are vital to the achievement of national health goals under the NHM. SDG Goal 3 focuses on bringing down maternal, new-born and child mortality. Innovative strategies have evolved under the national programme to deliver evidence-based interventions to different population groups.
Following the “Call to Action (CAT) Summit” in February, 2013, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare introduced Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn Child plus Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) to influence the key interventions for reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
Quality standards have been prescribed for clinical protocols, administrative and management processes and support services. Skill sets and standard treatment protocols for providing quality RCH services and training packages have been designed. Additionally, the creation of a hospital management society with untied funds, enabling public participation, has contributed to improved quality of care.
Non-communicable diseases are one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. The government has initiated a number of national programs for their prevention and control. These include:
With a view to limit instances of communicable diseases, the government has initiated the following programs:
Releases to State Health & FW Society Infrastructure Maintenance for 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 are listed on the website of National Health Mission.
Some of the initiatives for community participation under National Health Mission are as follows:
Rogi Kalyan Samiti: This committee is a registered society whose members act as trustees, managing the hospital affairs. It is responsible for maintaining the facilities and ensuring provision of better facilities for the patients in the hospital. Financial assistance through untied fund is provided for the purpose of undertaking activities for patient welfare. 31,763 Rogi Kalyan Samitis have been established, involving the members of the community in nearly all District Hospitals (DHs), Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA): Over 9.15 lakh ASHAs are in place across the nation. They serve as facilitators, mobilizers and providers of community level care. ASHA is the first port of call in the community, particularly for marginalized sections of the population, with a focus on women and children.
National Health Mission endeavours to:
Janani Suraksha Yojana is a safe motherhood intervention whose objective is to reduce the mortality rate of mothers and new-born babies by promoting institutional delivery. The scheme aims to encourage poor pregnant women to give birth in registered health institutions, where medical staff are on-hand, in case something goes wrong. Janani Suraksha Yojana integrates cash assistance along with delivery and post-delivery care. The success of the scheme can be determined by the increase in institutional delivery among the poor families.
The NHM was introduced with the aim to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality healthcare services that are responsive to the needs of the country's citizens. Many states have shown improved progress in healthcare facilities as well as the health of the individuals following the implementation of various initiatives under NHM. The mission, launched by the government in 2013, is set to continue until March 2020.
