The National Health Mission(NHM) was introduced in the year 2013 by the Government of India to provide advanced & adequate healthcare facilities to the social and economically disadvantaged segments at—– both rural and urban levels. Under this mission, key issues such as communicable and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child healthcare, etc. are given special attention. By focusing on aspects such as Decentralized management, strategic investment, collective participation, community engagement, etc., this mission aims to make healthcare services easily accessible and affordable to diverse rural and urban communities.
National Health Mission Key Components-
The National Health Mission constitutes two significant sub-missions, known as the National Rural Health Mission (NRLM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)-
The objective of introducing the National Rural Health Mission is to provide high-quality healthcare facilities in rural areas, taking care of disadvantaged communities belonging to the states such as the Empowered Action Group (EAG) States, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and North-eastern States. It strives to create a well-developed healthcare infrastructure and concentrates on aspects such as community mobilization, reliable delivery mechanisms, and decentralized ownership, effective resource management for addressing issues in areas such as water, sanitation, maternity infections, nutrition, etc.
Also Read:- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Credit Card | Make In India | Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
National Urban Health Mission (NUHM)-
The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) is launched to create effective, advanced healthcare mechanisms for underprivileged and neglected urban communities such as slum dwellers, etc. As per the 2011 census, States, and cities/towns having a population of 50,000 and above are included in this mission. Execution of the plans under this mission is in alignment with the other existing schemes in fields such as human resource development, Poverty Alleviation, and Women & Child Development, etc.
Government Strategic Initiatives under National Health Mission-
Under the National Health Mission, the Government has implemented core plans such as ASHAs, National Digital Health Mission, Ayushman Bharat, etc. directed towards preventing potential medical issues, strengthening access to healthcare facilities, spreading awareness, etc, to foster public well-being. A comprehensive approach is adopted to cater to aspects such as maternal and Child Health, immunization, sanitization, family planning, etc.
Prominent programs implemented under the National Health Mission are mentioned below:
Ayushman Bharat:
This program is centered on building 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centres in rural and urban regions to provide effective healthcare services to treat reproductive & child health and communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension, Oral, Breast, and Cervical cancers.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission:
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission or National Digital Health Mission was launched on 15th August 2020 to provide exceptional medical treatment through robust health infrastructure integrating hospitals, pharmacies, etc., ensuring affordable and optimal health care for the people. People get effortless access to the advanced facilities through the Health ID including information such as treatment history, diagnoses, prescribed medications and tips, outcomes, etc.
ASHAs:
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in each village serve as female health workers, providing counseling services around risk-free delivery, birth preparedness, contraception, breastfeeding, prevention of potential diseases, etc. As an effective connection between the people and the health system, they focus on community participation to enable them to access quality healthcare at designated health facilities accommodating services such as antenatal check-ups, postnatal check-ups, immunization, diet intake, sanitation, etc.
Note: Other notable campaigns are Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), PM National Dialysis Programme, Mobile Medical Units, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), Tribal TB Eradication Project etc.
Must Read:- Ladli Behna Yojana 3rd Round | National Food Security Act | Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
National Health Mission(NHM) : Key Analysis
Key observations related to the achievements of the National Health Mission are mentioned below:
- Based on the RGI-released Special Bulletin report on Maternal Mortality, Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India decreased from 103 per 100,000 live births in the year 2017-19 to 97 per 100,000 live births in the year 2018-20.
- India’s target for NHP (National Health Policy) 2017 was fixed at an MMR of less than 100 per 1,00,000 live births by the year 2020 and it successfully attained the target.
- In the year 2019-20, The Infant Mortality rate (IMR) has reduced by 6.66% in 2019-20, being 28 per 1000 live births on the national front.
Did you Know?
India’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is fixed at 70 per 1,00,000 live births by 2030.
National Health Mission: Implications and Influence-
In the year 2023-24, the distribution of the fund to the National Health Mission was enhanced from INR INR 28,974.29 Cr in 2022-23 to INR 29,085.26 Cr. The execution process caters to bridging healthcare inequalities, faced by the different vulnerable sections of society, thus dedicated to creating equitable health service networks. Additionally, emphasis was laid upon maternity health and child care to prevent the issues of maternity and child deaths due to various factors such as malnutrition, etc.
Note: Activities implemented under the National Health mission complement efforts to achieve SDG Goal 3 referred to as “Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages”, by strengthening the Healthcare delivery and management systems to foster an all-encompassing future.
FAQ’s:-
Q.1. What is the objective of the National Health Mission?
A.1. The objective of the National Health Mission is to ensure the Universal availability of health services with access to advanced medical facilities encompassing health, sanitation, immunization, Nutrition, Hygiene, etc.
Q.2. What is the mission statement of the NHM?
A.2. The mission statement of NHM is to cater to the health and wellness of people under Universal Health Coverage.
Q.3. Can NHM employees become permanent?
A.3. Persons employed at NHM for more than 10 years on a contractual basis will be eligible for consideration under “Permanent” positions.
Q.4. What are the guidelines for salary increases in NHM?
A.4. Contractual Employees who worked in NHM for 3 to 5 years, get a 5 % salary increase. Likewise, Persons employed for 3-5 Years receive a 10 % salary increase and employees who worked for 5-10 years get a 15 % salary hike.
Q.5. What is the difference between NRHM and NHM?
A.5. NRHM, The National Rural Health Mission is part of NHM, The National Health Mission as Implementation of NRHM is done in two modules, The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
Q.6. What is the basic salary of up NHM?
A.6. NHM community health officers receive a basic yearly salary between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4 lakh. Besides, all the perks and incentives employees receive in their annual income package.
Q.7. What is the new name of the National Health Mission?
A.7. As per the announcement by the Union Government, the National Health Mission is being rechristened as Pradhan Mantri-Samagra Swasthya Mission.
