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India's Healthcare Progress: A Roadmap to Resilience

Last Updated

6th April, 2025

Date Published

6th April, 2025

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A symbolic, realistic yet abstract hero image for a blog post about World Health Day.

India's healthcare system has undergone significant transformation, aligning with global health goals while addressing domestic challenges. The document from the Press Information Bureau, dated April 6, 2025, highlights key initiatives and achievements under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, emphasizing maternal and child health, universal health coverage, and digital health innovations. This summary provides a concise overview of India's strides in public health, relevant for understanding national development and governance.

Key Points:

World Health Day 2025

  • Date and Theme: Observed on April 7, 2025, with the theme "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," focusing on maternal and newborn health.
  • Global Context: Initiated by WHO in 1950 to address pressing health issues annually.
  • PM’s Statement: Shri Narendra Modi emphasized gratitude to health workers and the government’s commitment to enhancing health infrastructure.

Maternal and Child Health Achievements

  • Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR):
    • Dropped from 130 (2014-16) to 97 (2018-20) per 1,00,000 live births, a 33-point decline.
    • Reduced by 83% from 1990 to 2020, compared to a global reduction of 42%.
  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):
    • Decreased from 39 (2014) to 28 (2020) per 1,000 live births.
  • Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR):
    • Fell from 26 (2014) to 20 (2020) per 1,000 live births.
  • Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR):
    • Declined from 45 (2014) to 32 (2020) per 1,000 live births.
  • India vs. Global Progress (1990-2020):
    • MMR: 83% reduction (India) vs. 42% (global).
    • NMR: 65% reduction (India) vs. 51% (global).
    • IMR: 69% reduction (India) vs. 55% (global).
    • U5MR: 75% reduction (India) vs. 58% (global).

Key Maternal Health Interventions

  • Institutional Deliveries: Increased to 88.6% (NFHS-5, 2019-21), including tribal women, under the National Health Mission (NHM).
  • Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY):
    • Cash transfer scheme since 2005; 36.77 lakh women benefited (April-Sept 2024).
  • Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK):
    • Free care for pregnant women and sick infants, including delivery and transport.
  • Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA):
    • Free antenatal care on the 9th of each month since 2016; over 6 crore women examined by April 2025.
    • Extended strategy focuses on high-risk pregnancies with additional visits and ASHA support.
  • SUMAN (2019):
    • Zero-cost, quality care for women and newborns; 41,519 facilities onboarded by Dec 2024.
  • LaQshya (2017):
    • Improves labour room and maternity OT quality; 1,106 labour rooms and 809 OTs certified by Dec 2024.
  • Other Initiatives:
    • Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR): Identifies causes of maternal deaths for corrective action.
    • Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card & Safe Motherhood Booklet: Educates on nutrition and institutional deliveries.
    • Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Portal: Tracks pregnant women and newborns digitally.
    • Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB): Targets anaemia prevention under POSHAN Abhiyan.
    • Birth Waiting Homes (BWH): Enhances access in remote/tribal areas.
    • Village Health, Sanitation & Nutrition Day (VHSND): Monthly maternal and child care outreach.
    • Outreach Camps: Focus on tribal areas for healthcare delivery and awareness.

Wider Health Infrastructure

  • Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs):
    • 1.76 lakh active Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs) by April 5, 2025.
    • 107.10 crore hypertension and 94.56 crore diabetes screenings conducted.
    • 5.06 crore wellness sessions (yoga, meditation) held by Feb 2025.
  • National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS):
    • 17,000+ public health facilities certified by Nov 2024 for quality care.

Digital Health Ecosystem

  • Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM):
    • Over 76 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) created by April 5, 2025.
    • 5.95 lakh healthcare professionals and 3.86 lakh health facilities verified.
    • 52 crore+ health records linked.

Disease Elimination Efforts

  • Trachoma: Eliminated as a public health problem in 2024, recognized by WHO.
  • Measles-Rubella: 50 districts reported no measles cases, 226 no rubella cases (past year, as of March 6, 2024).
  • Tuberculosis (TB):
    • Incidence fell 17.7% (237 to 195 per lakh, 2015-2023); deaths dropped from 28 to 22 per lakh.
    • Missing TB cases reduced by 83% (15 lakh to 2.5 lakh, 2015-2023).
    • Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: 2.5 lakh Ni-kshay Mitra volunteers support 15 lakh TB patients by April 6, 2025.
  • Kala-azar: Eliminated by Oct 2024; all endemic blocks below 1 case per 10,000 by 2023.

Affordable Health Coverage

  • Ayushman Bharat - PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY):
    • Covers 55 crore+ economically vulnerable people (bottom 40%) with ₹5 lakh/family/year insurance.
    • 40 crore+ Ayushman Cards issued by April 3, 2025.
    • 8.5 crore+ hospital admissions authorized.
    • 31,846 empanelled hospitals (17,434 public, 14,412 private) by April 3, 2025.
    • Includes ASHA and Anganwadi workers as beneficiaries.
    • 25 lakh+ Ayushman Vay Vandana Cards issued for elderly coverage by Dec 9, 2024.

Mental Health Interventions

  • Tele-MANAS:
    • 53 cells across 36 States/UTs, offering 24x7 support in 20 languages.
    • Handled 20 lakh+ calls by April 5, 2025; ₹230 crore+ invested in NTMHP.
  • Rehabilitation Homes: 440+ functional halfway homes by April 5, 2025, per Manoashraya Dashboard.

Future Outlook

  • India’s focus on maternal/child health, digital health, and disease elimination drives progress toward universal health coverage.

Glossary

  • MMR: Maternal Mortality Ratio - Deaths of mothers per 1,00,000 live births.
  • IMR: Infant Mortality Rate - Deaths of infants under 1 year per 1,000 live births.
  • NMR: Neonatal Mortality Rate - Deaths of newborns within 28 days per 1,000 live births.
  • U5MR: Under-5 Mortality Rate - Deaths of children under 5 years per 1,000 live births.
  • NHM: National Health Mission - Framework for improving public health delivery.
  • JSY: Janani Suraksha Yojana - Cash incentive for institutional deliveries.
  • JSSK: Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram - Free healthcare for pregnant women and infants.
  • PMSMA: Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan - Free antenatal care initiative.
  • SUMAN: Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan - Zero-cost maternal and newborn care.
  • LaQshya: Quality improvement in labour rooms and maternity OTs.
  • ABDM: Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission - Digital health ecosystem.
  • AB-PMJAY: Ayushman Bharat - PM Jan Arogya Yojana - Health insurance for the vulnerable.
  • Tele-MANAS: National Tele-Mental Health Programme - 24x7 mental health support.
  • NQAS: National Quality Assurance Standards - Certification for quality healthcare facilities.