NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (NHP) 2017

This is the current guiding document. It marks a paradigm shift from “Sick-care” to “Wellness.”

• • From Selective to Comprehensive: It expanded the scope from Maternal and Child health to include Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health.
  • Financial Protection: It explicitly acknowledged the “catastrophic impact” of health spending on the poor, leading to the birth of Ayushman Bharat.
  • Digital Pivot: It proposed the creation of a digital health ecosystem (now realized as the ABDM).

Core Principles of NHP 2017

1. Professionalism, Integrity & Ethics: Committing to high standards in delivery and a transparent regulatory environment.

2. Equity: Reducing disparity based on caste, gender, poverty, and geographical barriers.

3. Affordability: Ensuring that household healthcare expenditure does not lead to poverty.

4. Universality: Aiming for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all citizens.

5. Patient Centeredness & Quality of Care: Ensuring dignity, confidentiality, and effective care.

6. Accountability: Financial and performance transparency.

7. Inclusive Partnerships: Leveraging the private sector for public goals.

8. Pluralism: Integrating AYUSH with mainstream medicine.

9. Decentralization: Empowering local communities and state governments.

10. Dynamic Adaptability: Being responsive to changing disease burdens (e.g., from infectious to non-communicable).

Key Quantitative Targets (By 2025)

A. Health Status & Impact

• • Life Expectancy:Increase from 67.5 to 70 years by 2025.
  • Total Fertility Rate (TFR):Reduce to 1 at national and sub-national levels.
  • Mortality Rates:
    • MMR:Below 100 per lakh live births (by 2020—already largely achieved in 2026).
    • IMR:Reduce to 28 (by 2019) and further to 16 by 2025.
    • Under-5 Mortality:Reduce to 23 by 2025.
  • Disease Elimination:
    • EliminateTB by 2025 (India’s unique “End TB” target).
    • EliminateLeprosy, Kala-Azar, and Lymphatic Filariasis in endemic pockets.

B. Health Systems Performance

• • Financial Protection:Increase public health spending to 5% of GDP by 2025.
  • Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE):Aim to reduce it from 65% to below 30% of total health expenditure.
  • Immunization:Achieve and sustain >90% full immunization coverage of new-borns by 1 year of age.
  • Infrastructure:Ensure 2 beds per 1,000 population in high-priority districts.

C. Health System Strengthening

• • Digital Health:Establish a National Digital Health Authority to regulate, develop, and deploy digital health across the continuum of care.
  • Human Resources:Achieve the 1:1000 doctor-patient ratio (WHO norm).

The “Seven Pillars” of Implementation

1. Health & Wellness Centres (Arogya Mandirs):For primary care.

2. Financial Protection:Through schemes like PM-JAY.

3. Human Resource Development:Focused medical education reforms.

4. Digital Health:ABDM integration.

5. Access to Medicines:Generic drugs via Jan Aushadhi.

6. Public Health Management:Professionalizing health administration.

7. Knowledge for Health:Focusing on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and research.

Objectives as the “Four As”:

• • Accessibility (Reaching the unreached)
  • Affordability (Reducing out-of-pocket spend)
  • Availability (Infrastructure and HR)
  • Accountability (Digital tracking and better governance)

Note: “While NHP 2017 targets a 2.5% GDP spend, current spending at 1.9% shows a fiscal gap that hinders the goal of Universal Health Coverage.”