 "Union cabinet extends National Health Mission for another 5 years")
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the extension of the National Health Mission (NHM) for another five years after reviewing its progress over the past three years.
First launched in 2005 as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the scheme has been extended multiple times, with the most recent extension granted in 2021 to run until 2026.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, addressing a cabinet briefing, highlighted the NHM’s significant impact on public health.
“The mission’s efforts have been integral to India's health improvements, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has played a vital role in ensuring more accessible and quality healthcare services across the country,” a cabinet statement said.
Goyal further stated that NHM’s ongoing efforts have transformed India’s health landscape, putting the country on track to achieve its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) health targets well ahead of the 2030 deadline.
Progress and key achievements
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Since its most recent extension in 2021, NHM has driven substantial progress in maternal and child health, disease elimination, and healthcare infrastructure.
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declined by 25 per cent, from 130 per 100,000 live births in 2014-16 to 97 per 100,000 in 2018-20. Similarly, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) dropped from 39 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to around 28 in 2020.
“These improvements indicate that India is on track to meet its SDG targets for maternal, child, and infant mortality well ahead of 2030,” the statement added.
Between FY22 and FY24, NHM engaged over 1.2 million additional healthcare workers, including general duty medical officers (GDMOs), specialists, staff nurses, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), Ayush doctors, allied healthcare workers, and public health managers.
The mission also played a pivotal role in administering over 2.2 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine between January 2021 and March 2024.
Disease control and healthcare programmes
NHM has contributed significantly to reducing the incidence and improving the surveillance of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as tuberculosis (TB).
“Under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), the incidence of tuberculosis has reduced from 237 per 100,000 population in 2015 to 195 in 2023, with the mortality rate decreasing from 28 to 22 during the same period,” Goyal noted.
NHM has also overseen the expansion of key programmes, including the Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign, the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme, and the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission.