The evolution of health policy in India reflects a journey from a selective, disease-centric approach to a comprehensive, rights-based approach aiming for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Pre-NHP Phase
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- The Bhore Committee (1946): This report is the bedrock of India’s health planning. It recommended the integration of preventive and curative services and suggested the “Primary Health Centre” (PHC) model.
- The Mudaliar Committee (1962): Focused on strengthening district-level hospitals and improving the quality of medical education.
National Health Policy (NHP), 1983
This was India’s first formal health policy, heavily influenced by the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration.
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- Core Philosophy: “Health for All by 2000 AD.”
- Focus: Decentralization and the creation of a massive network of sub-centres and PHCs.
- Approach: Selective Primary Health Care (focusing on specific issues like maternal health and immunization).
National Health Policy (NHP), 2002
By 2002, the limitations of the 1983 policy (specifically the failure to reach “Health for All”) necessitated a pivot toward practical targets and private sector participation.
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- Objective: To achieve an acceptable standard of good health among the general population.
- Key Shift: Encouraged the role of the Private Sector in secondary and tertiary care.
- Focus Areas: Increased funding for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and TB. It paved the way for the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005, which introduced the ASHA workers.
