Will focus on devolution under health mission: Minister

The government will focus on devolution, decentralisation and timely responsiveness to expand the reach and effectiveness of health programmes under the National Health Mission (NHM), union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said on Tuesday.

"Introduction of newer vaccines like inactivated polio vaccine and rotavirus vaccine under the Universal Immunisation Programme, increase in institutional deliveries, capacity building of states etc has benefited many health programmes at the grass-roots level," Nadda said while inaugurating a meeting of the NHM steering groups.

Nadda said there were other accomplishments such as expansion in full immunisation coverage through 'Mission Indradhanush', which registered almost 5 percent increase in one year compared with about one percent earlier.

Health Secretary B.P. Sharma and other senior officers of the health ministry were present at the meeting.