The National Health Mission is a Government of India initiative introduced in 2013. This policy is made up of two parts National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission to provide quality and affordable healthcare. The government scheme focuses on mortality, diseases and improving infrastructure to better serve the people of India.
Overview
| National Health Mission | |
|---|
| Particular | Detail |
| Launch Year | 2013 |
| Beneficiaries | Citizens of India |
| Service Offered | Improvement in healthcare for Indians |
| Launched By | Government of India |
| Objective | Supports State and UT efforts to provide equitable and quality healthcare. |
Read More: Integrated Disease Surveillance Program
What Is The National Health Mission (NHM)?
Started by the Government of India, the National Health Mission aims to provide access to equitable quality healthcare for all regardless of social or economic standing. It is further divided into National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and is aimed at reducing mortality, and diseases and improving healthcare infrastructure.
Objectives and Goals of National Health Mission
The National Health Mission aims to provide access to quality healthcare to the citizens of India. The govt scheme has unique objectives and scope that they have designed to have maximum impact.
Objectives
This scheme was designed with multiple objectives in mind keeping public health and economic background-related challenges in mind. They are:
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Access To Healthcare: All citizens of India should have equitable access to quality healthcare and the cost of which should be affordable to all.
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Prevention of Diseases: Reduce the spread of cyclic epidemics and other diseases like TB by implementing better healthcare systems and practices across the nation.
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Mortality Rates: The govt scheme is targeting reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Infant Mortality Ratio (IMR). The goal specifically looks at reducing the MMR ratio to 100 or below.
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Improving Maternal and Child Health: It aims to improve healthcare outcomes for mothers and children, especially under the age of 6 months.
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Stabilising Population: It also aims at reducing fluctuations in demographic details in areas with poor access to healthcare.
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Promoting Indigenous Health Practices: The government scheme is also looking into giving a boost to Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy and integrating them more into the public health system.
Read More: Anganwadi Services Scheme
Goals
The government scheme has been designed to achieve certain objectives but the milestones of those objectives are the goals that NHM has set for itself. They are:
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Reduce MMR to 100 per 100,000 live births.
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Reduce IMR to 25 per 1,000 live births.
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Reduce and stop anaemia in women ages 15-49.
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Reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for healthcare-related expenditures.
Four Components of National Health Mission
The four components of the NHM are:
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Communicable Diseases: Reduction in communicable diseases like malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS
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Non-Communicable Diseases: Implement policies that reduce diseases like diabetes, cancer and hypertension.
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Improve Healthcare Infrastructure: NHM seeks to see significant improvement in States and UT’s ability to provide affordable healthcare.
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Maternal and Infant Health: Reduce negative outcomes in childbirth and other such maternal and infant-related issues.
Government Initiatives Under NHM
The National Health Mission is an umbrella initiative with multiple schemes under it working together towards the larger objective of increasing public health:
Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): The goal of the government's Janani Suraksha Yojana is to lower mother and newborn mortality rates by encouraging institutional deliveries through financial incentives and healthcare support.
National Ambulance Service: Through a dedicated 108 number, the National Ambulance Service ensures prompt access to healthcare by offering free emergency medical transport throughout India.
Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS): In order to guarantee prompt delivery of necessary healthcare services in India, the Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) is a digital project that tracks expectant mothers and infants under 6 months.
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): In order to ensure prompt intervention and treatment, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) is a health initiative that screens children for illnesses, deficiencies, impairments, and developmental delays.
Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres: To bolster India's healthcare system at the local level, Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centers offer complete primary healthcare, including preventive, promotional, and curative services.
Impact And Findings Of NHM
The National Health Mission (NHM) has led to measurable improvements in India's healthcare. Notable impacts and findings include
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Immunisation Coverage: Full immunisation rose to 76.4% (2019-20).
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Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): Reduced from 40 (2013) to 28 per 1,000 live births (2020).
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Institutional Deliveries: Increased to over 89% (2020-21).
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Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR): Declined from 167 (2011-13) to 103 (2017-19).
What Is the National Rural Health Mission?
The National Rural Health Mission is a government scheme that provides equitable access to quality healthcare and reduces mortality in declared rural India. This scheme was launched under the umbrella of the National Health Mission.
Objectives Of The National Rural Health Mission
The scheme has multiple goals that it is trying to achieve for the rural parts of the country at large. The govt scheme has unique objectives that they have designed to have maximum impact.
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Ensuring women's and babies' safety during childbirth.
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Extending coverage and improving rural healthcare infrastructure.
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Keeping an eye on and managing both infectious and non-communicable diseases; encouraging preventative measures for problems that can be avoided.
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Enhancing accessibility to ensure that everyone has access to high-quality healthcare.
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involving local government to provide healthcare efficiently.
Benefits of National Rural Health Mission
This scheme was introduced to spread access to equitable healthcare across rural India. The design of this scheme is to bring affordable and quality healthcare in combination with adequate infrastructure. The benefits of this are:
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Better Maternal and Child Health by emphasising lowering infant mortality and ensuring safe deliveries.
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Infrastructure Development by modernising medical facilities and institutions in remote areas.
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Access to Diagnostics and Medicines for improved accessibility to necessary supplies.
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Training regional health professionals, such as ASHAs, to assist in the provision of healthcare is known as community empowerment.
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Affordable Healthcare Services for low-income households that are provided for free or at a reduced cost.
Features Of National Rural Health Mission
The scheme has been designed to have maximum impact in rural India and give better healthcare outcomes. This government scheme aims to bring multiple approach methods to have an overall impact on public health:
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By ensuring the availability of necessary medical facilities and enhancing infrastructure, NRHM improves healthcare services in rural areas.
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The goal of the mission is to lower death rates by concentrating on mother and child health.
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ASHAs and other local healthcare professionals are trained to provide basic healthcare services.
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The program encourages community involvement in healthcare delivery and decision-making.
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In rural communities, it aims to control both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Eligibility Criteria of National Rural Health Mission
The government scheme has multiple goals that it is trying to achieve for the rural parts of the country at large. There are certain stipulations to access this healthcare scheme:
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The program mostly targets rural permanent inhabitants, with a focus on marginalised populations, women, and children.
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It is intended for people who live in low-income homes and have trouble getting healthcare.
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ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and other local health professionals are important players.
NRHM Application Process
This scheme was introduced to spread access to equitable healthcare across rural India. The application process has been made very easy and accessible. Let's find out:
Step 1: Visit the local District clinic and ask to apply for this NRHM scheme.
Step 2: Fill out all required details and attach all relevant documents that have been asked.
Step 3: Engage with ASHA workers and regularly take part in individual check-ups and community events
Read More: ABHA Card Registration
What Is The National Urban Health Mission?
By improving healthcare infrastructure, encouraging preventive care, and guaranteeing accessibility through Urban Primary Health Centers, outreach programs, and community involvement, the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) seeks to provide equitable and high-quality healthcare to urban populations, especially the impoverished and vulnerable.
Features Of The National Urban Health Mission
The government scheme has been designed to have maximum impact in urban India and give better healthcare outcomes to those who cannot access the city healthcare facilities due to cost barriers:
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The government initiative focuses on the Urban Poor, aiming to help underprivileged urban neighbourhoods, such as slums.
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Building wellness clinics and health centres is one way to improve the urban health infrastructure.
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Access to affordable healthcare,ffers fair access to primary healthcare services to everyone
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Community Participation such as local groups' involvement in the provision and formulation of healthcare policies.
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Disease Control by putting an emphasis on preventing and managing both infectious and non-communicable illnesses.
Objectives Of The National Urban Health Mission
The NUHM scheme has multiple goals that it is trying to achieve for the urban parts of the country at large. The scheme has unique objectives that they have designed to have maximum impact. They are:
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Enhancing Healthcare Access by giving impoverished urban residents, particularly those living in slums, fair access to healthcare services.
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Strengthening Urban Health Systems by improving urban regions' infrastructure and medical care delivery.
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Prioritising Preventive and Promotive Healthcare by stressing the importance of community-based illness prevention and health promotion.
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Involving Local Communities and promoting local organisations' and NGOs' involvement in the development and provision of healthcare.
Read More: Exploring Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram
Benefits Of National Urban Health Mission
This scheme was introduced to spread access to equitable healthcare across urban India as income inequality translates to disproportionate access going to rich Indians. Some of its main benefits are:
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Access to Affordable Healthcare: With a focus on the urban poor, NUHM seeks to offer necessary healthcare services at minimal or no cost.
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Maternal and Child Health Improvement: Improving healthcare facilities and services for pregnant mothers and infants is a key priority to lower maternal and infant mortality rates.
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Integrated Health Services: NUHM ensures that different health services, such as non-communicable disease management, communicable disease control, and maternity and child health, are integrated.
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Education and Awareness: NUHM works to raise urban residents' knowledge of the available health services and to promote frequent doctor visits.
Components Of The National Urban Health Mission
The National Urban Health Mission aims to achieve it’s objectives via multiple schemes and initiatives working together to bring change in public health. The components of this scheme are:
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Population Policy: Reduce the rates of total fertility, infant mortality, and maternal mortality by emphasising integrated reproductive and child health care.
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JSK (Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh): A fund established in 2003 under the Societies Registration Act to control population growth.
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GIS Mapping: Using census and GIS data to map districts to pinpoint disparities and direct the distribution of resources for medical treatment.
Eligibility Criteria Of National Urban Health Mission
The program aims to accomplish several objectives for the nation's urban areas. Access to this healthcare program is subject to the following requirements:
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All Indian residents who reside in cities are eligible to use the NUHM.
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The NUHM has no income requirements. Nonetheless, the program's advantages are intended for the underprivileged and destitute.
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The NUHM has no age restrictions. However, there can be age restrictions on certain of the program's services.
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All demographic groups, including males, women, children, and the elderly, are eligible for NUHM benefits.
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People with disabilities are also eligible for NUHM benefits. The kind of benefit they receive will depend on the coverage and the eligible allowance earmarked for that particular disability
Key Proposals Under The National Urban Health Mission
The many components of the National Urban Health Mission that work together to achieve it’s public health goals are:
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Urban Primary Health Centre (U-PHC): The NUHM makes sure that there is an Urban Primary Health Center (U-PHC) that offers primary lab diagnostic and outpatient department (OPD) consultation within one kilometre of a slum.
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Urban Community Health Centre (U-CHC): For every four to five U-PHCs, the NUHM makes sure there is an Urban Commercial Health Center (U-CHC) that offers medical attention, surgical services, and delivery facilities with bedding services.
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Urban Social Health Activist (USHA): The program mandates that Urban Social Health Activists (USHAs) serve as liaisons between the slum residents and the Urban Primary Health Center in each slum. The necessary services are delivered to homes by USHA employees.
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Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM): To provide the vulnerable population with free checkups, counselling, and medication dispensing, NUHM places Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) in primary healthcare facilities.
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Mahila Arogya Samiti (MAS): To empower women and improve community involvement in health efforts, community-based organisations known as MAS will be established. These organisations will assist in raising funds for local healthcare needs.
Funding Pattern Of National Urban Health Mission
The central government and the state governments share funds for NUHM. The Ministry approves the Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) that the states and union territories submit.
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The National Urban Health Mission's center-state funding structure is 75:25 for all states except the northeastern states, which include Sikkim.
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The National Urban Health Mission's center-state funding structure is 90:10 for all other special category states, including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Read More: Ayushman Vaya Vandana card (AVV)
Conclusion
India's healthcare system has been greatly improved by the National Health Mission (NHM), especially in underprivileged rural and urban areas. With an emphasis on maternity and child health, improved infrastructure, and illness prevention, NHM seeks to make high-quality, easily accessible healthcare available to everyone.
For more information and to engage with a community of informed citizens, visit the Jaagruk Bharat Community Page. Get updates, tips, and insights on how to access other such schemes issued by the government of India
