Context: The Cabinet reviewed achievements under the National Health Mission (2021-24), highlighting significant progress in strengthening India’s public health outcomes.
Key Achievements under NHM (2021-2024):
| Achievement Area | Key Milestones |
| COVID-19 Vaccination | Over 220 crore vaccine doses administered nationwide. |
| Human Resources | Engaged 12.13 lakh additional healthcare workers, including 3.57 lakh CHOs. |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) | Declined by 83% since 1990, from 130 (2014-16) to 97 per lakh live births (2018-20). |
| Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) | Reduced by 75% since 1990, from 45 (2014) to 32 per 1,000 live births (2020). |
| TB Elimination | Incidence reduced from 237/1,00,000 in 2015 to 195/1,00,000 in 2023. |
| Measles-Rubella Vaccination | Achieved 97.98% coverage, vaccinating over 34.77 crore children. |
| Sickle Cell Anemia | Screened 2.61 crore individuals under the National Sickle Cell Anemia Mission. |
| Ayushman Arogya Mandirs | Operationalized 1.72 lakh centers, with 1.34 lakh providing 12 essential services. |
| Dialysis Programme | Benefited 4.53 lakh patients with over 62.35 lakh hemodialysis sessions. |
| Kala Azar Elimination | Achieved target of <1 case/10,000 population in all endemic blocks. |
| Digital Health | Launched the U-WIN Platform for real-time vaccination tracking in 65 districts. |
| Public Health Infrastructure | Certified 7,998 health facilities under National Quality Assurance Standards. |
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:
- General Studies Paper II: Governance and Social Justice
- NHM as a case study for improving healthcare accessibility and affordability.
- Schemes for vulnerable populations (MGNREGA, PMJDY, PMJAY, etc.).
- Disease elimination initiatives like TB, malaria, and Kala Azar.
- General Studies Paper III: Economic Development and Technology
- Role of digital health initiatives (U-WIN platform) in healthcare delivery.
- Linkages between healthcare infrastructure and human resource development.
- Essay Writing
- Topics like “Healthcare Transformation in India” or “Achieving SDG Targets through NHM”.
