New Delhi, January 22: The Union Cabinet, acknowledging the achievements made in the country under the National Health Mission, today approved to continue it for the next five years. Proposals to this effect were approved in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal informed about the decisions of the Cabinet in a press conference. He said that the country has achieved many historic goals under the Health Mission. About 12 lakh health workers are associated with it across the country. The mission has played a big role in facing the dreadful period of Kovid and 2.20 billion Kovid vaccines have been administered and certificates have been distributed to the country.
According to the government release, the Cabinet was apprised of the progress under the National Health Mission during the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. The Cabinet was also apprised of the rapid decline in maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, stillbirth rate and total fertility rate and progress in respect of programmes for various diseases like TB, malaria, kala-azar, dengue, tuberculosis, leprosy, viral hepatitis etc. and new initiatives like National Sickle Cell Anemia Eradication Mission.
Achievements achieved under National Health Mission-
- 220 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered across the country under the National Health Mission (NHM).
- Maternal mortality rate (MMR) has declined by 83 per cent since 1990.
- Mortality rate of children below 5 years of age has declined by more than 75 per cent since 1990.
- TB cases have declined from 237 per lakh in 2015 to 195 in 2023. At the same time, the mortality rate has come down from 28 to 22.
- Under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, 1.56 lakh Nikshay Mitra volunteers are assisting over 9.4 lakh TB patients.
- The number of Ayushman Arogya Mandir centres will reach 1.72 lakh by FY 2023-24.
- National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission screened over 2.61 crore individuals.
- India achieved 97.98 per cent coverage in the measles-rubella vaccination drive.
- Malaria control efforts have led to a reduction in mortality and cases.
- Kala Azar elimination target successfully achieved.
- Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program has benefited over 4.53 lakh dialysis patients in FY 2023-24.
It is worth mentioning that the National Rural Health Mission was launched in 2005 with the aim of building a public health system to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to the rural population, especially vulnerable groups, up to the District Hospital (DH) level. In the year 2012, National Urban Health Mission was conceptualized and NRHM was rechristened as National Health Mission with two sub-missions i.e. NRHM and NUHM.
