Achievements Under National Health Mission

• 29 Jan 2025

Source: PIB 

Why in News? 

The Central Government recently presented a 2021-24 assessment report on the National Health Mission (NHM), highlighting its achievements in improving healthcare accessibility and addressing key health challenges, including Covid-19. 

What are the Key Achievements of the NHM (2021-24)? 

• Human Resource Expansion: 
  • Between FY 2021-24, NHM engaged over 12 lakh additional healthcare workers, including medical officers, nurses, specialists, community health officers (CHOs), and AYUSH doctors.  
  • 1.56 lakh Ni-kshay Mitra volunteers supported over 9.4 lakh TB patients under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, improving healthcare delivery in rural areas.  
• Reduction in Mortality Rate: 
  • Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declined by 83% since 1990 (exceeding the global decline of 45%).  
  • The Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) reduced by 75% (outperforming the global reduction of 60%).  
  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) decreased from 39 (2014) to 28 (2020). 
  • Total Fertility Rate (TFR) dropped from 2.3 (2015) to 2.0 (2020). 

 

• Disease Control and Elimination 
  • Tuberculosis: TB incidence reduced by 17.7% (2015-2023) and mortality decreased by 21.4% under National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP). 
  • Malaria: Malaria cases initially declined by 13.28% in 2021, but rose by 9.13% in 2022 and 28.91% in 2023.  
    • Deaths fell by 3.22% in 2021, dropped by 7.77% in 2022, despite the rise in cases. 
  • Kala-azar: Kala-azar elimination was successful, with 100% of endemic blocks achieving the target of less than one case per 10,000 population by 2023.  
• Vaccination and Immunization Campaigns: 
  • The Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign, under the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0, vaccinated over 34.77 crore children, achieving an impressive 97.98% coverage. 
  • During Covid-19 pandemic over 220 crore vaccine doses (Jan 2021–Mar 2024) were administered. 
    • Implementation of the India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package (ECRP). 
  • The U-WIN platform launched in January 2023, tracked vaccination events in real-time and expanded to 65 districts by FY 2023-24. 
• Healthcare Infrastructure Expansion:  
  • By March 2024, 7,998 public health facilities were certified under National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), with 4,200 receiving national certification. 
  • Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: Operational centers increased to 1.72 lakh, ensuring essential healthcare services for millions. 
• Specialized Health Initiatives: 
  • Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP): PMNDP delivered 62.35 lakh hemodialysis sessions in FY 2023-24, benefiting 4.53 lakh patients. 
  • National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM): NSCAE Mission screened 2.61 crore individuals, focusing on tribal regions, aiming for disease elimination by 2047. 

What is the National Health Mission? 

• About:  
  • The NHM, launched in 2013, aims to provide accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare, focusing on vulnerable and underserved populations.  
  • It integrates the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). 
• Initiatives: 
  • Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A), including Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). 
  • Communicable Diseases Control: Focusing on Tuberculosis (TB), malaria, leprosy, and HIV/AIDS under initiatives such as the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme and Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme. 
  • Non-Communicable Diseases: For diabetes, hypertension, and cancer under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Stroke. 
  • Other Initiatives: 
    • Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK 
    • PM National Dialysis Programme 
    • Ayushman Bharat 
    • Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)  

Prelims:

Q. In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent Covid-19 pandemic, consider the following statements:

1. The Serum Institute of India produced Covid-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform. 
2. Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector based platform. 
3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen based vaccine. 

Which of the statements given above are correct?  

(a) 1 and 2 only   

(b) 2 and 3 only  

(c) 1 and 3 only   

(d) 1, 2 and 3  

Ans: (b)