Building a 21st Century Health System for India: NITI Aayog report

NITI Aayog released a report on 'Health Systems for a New India: Building BlocksPotential Pathways to Reforms'. The report was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar in the presence of Bill Gates. The report identified 5 focus areas of future health system, deliver on unfinished Public health agenda, change health financing away from out of pocket so spend into large insurers, integrate service delivery vertically and horizontally, empower citizens to become better buyers of health, harness the power of digital health. Highlighting the need to build India's opportunities, the vision for health over the next fifteen years is to transform the delivery of health services in a way that they improve at a much greater pace, without financially burdening its citizens.

Over the last few years, India has embarked on a journey towards providing improved access to high-quality, affordable healthcare for the most unreached and vulnerable population of the country. Many indicators, however, continue to show significant scope for improvement. By placing health at the centre-stage of the policy narrative, this report charts a clear roadmap for the complete transformation of India's health system.

'At a systems level, overcoming the challenges of fragmentation, across healthcare financing and service delivery, will help us optimize both quality and access. India now needs to build on its many opportunities to achieve further progress on the health of its citizens and respond to the growing aspirations and needs of a new India,' said Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.

Lauding the significant improvements made in India's health sector, Bill Gates, co-chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said primary healthcare is extremely important for all. India is in a very hopeful situation, he said, and is set to be an example for other countries. He mentioned that the private sector needs to be involved to meet key challenges and that the Gates Foundation through its initiatives will extend all possible help.

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