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.
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 2014-2016 to 97 per 100,000 in 2018-2020.
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, specialists, staff nurses, auxiliary nurse midwives 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.
NHM has contributed significantly to reducing the incidence and improving the surveillance of non-communicable diseases such as TB.
-- Sanket Koul/Business Standard
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