National Health Mission: Objectives and Key Initiatives

The HNM is a public health initiative initiated by India's government in 2005. It also includes the national rural health mission. It was discovered out of an affront to the healthcare needs of underserved rural and urban populations as well. The program pays close attention to reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health and communicable and non-communicable diseases. The NHM is organized into a series of initiatives and programs. All of them contain constituents of community sharing and inter-sectoral junctions to enhance health outcomes across the country. So, in this article, we will talk about the national health mission objectives in addition to key initiatives.

About National Health Misson

Started by the government of India, the National Health Mission (NHM) was designed to handle the simple malnutrition crisis in front of the country. The assignment, which was launched in 2013, presented two existing assignments required to address malnutrition in rural and urban populations. NHM was implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Health besides family welfare.

Background of the National Health Mission

The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched in 2005 by the Government of India. It was a merging of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). The NRHM was initiated in 2005 to address the healthcare requirements of underserved rural areas. The NUHM was launched to focus on urban areas. The mission aims to establish a decentralized health delivery system. It focuses on improving health indicators in defenseless states and regions. NHM has been extended many times and continues to be a significant public health initiative in India.

National Health Mission Objectives

The mission seeks to extend beyond the focus of previous missions on reproductive besides child health.

It aims to combat two classes of diseases – Communicable and Non-Communicable.

The mission has the goal of meaningfully enhancing health infrastructure services at the District and Sub-District levels.

The following are some of the key goals of the National Health Mission.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) – Aims to lower it to 2.1.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) – Strives to reduce it to 25 per 1000 live births.

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) – Aims to reduce it to 1 per 1000 live births.

Aims to reduce the frequency of malaria to less than 1 per 1000 population.

It aims to prevent and reduce anemia in women aged between 15 years and 49 years.

Strives to halve the incidence and death rate of tuberculosis.

Funding Pattern of the National Health Mission

The National Health Mission (NHM) financing pattern is a common duty between the central and state governments. The central government provides fiscal policy assistance to states and downtown areas in the form of subsidies. Money follows another relationship. The central government is often 60% to 90% of the total funds. It rests on the state category (special category, northeastern states or other states). Special state authorities contribute the remaining stock. The allocated funds are utilized for various health programs, infrastructure development, capacity building, and the improvement of service distribution under NHM.

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Major Initiatives under the National Health Mission

The National Health Mission includes around 24 major initiatives.

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs)

Community health volunteers bridge the community and the health system, mainly in rural areas. Over 9.15 lakh ASHA activists are arranged across the country. These activists have actively jammed institutional delivery, immunization, and disease control programs.

Rogi Kalyan Samiti/Hospital Management

Management structures that supervise hospital affairs and work towards patient welfare. 31,673 Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) is well-known across the district and sub-district hospitals, community and primary health care centers. This society is recorded, and its members are responsible for ensuring satisfactory hospital patient facilities.

United Grants to Sub-Centers (SC)

Funding for grassroots improvements in healthcare. This involves enhancing the efficacy of healthcare workers, besides empowering local health committees. These centers are well-equipped to provide better-quality health care to patients.

Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC)

The committee comprises associates from Panchayati Raj. There are 5 Lakh VHSNCs across the country. They are answerable for monitoring and preparation of public services.

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

A scheme promoting institutional transfer among poor pregnant women to lessen neonatal and maternal mortality. This scheme encourages expecting women to give birth in government health facilities, thereby reducing maternal mortality. 8.55 crore women have been promoted from this scheme.

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSY)

Under this scheme, pregnant women do not incur any incidentals for delivery in public health institutions. Health amenities are provided free of cost to sick infants under the age of 1 year.

National Mobile Medical Units

Mobile healthcare units provide medical amenities in remote and underserved areas. In 333 out of 672 districts, support has been provided for 1107 Mobile Medical Units.

National Ambulance Service

Emergency medical services to ensure appropriate access to healthcare in critical situations. This provision can be accessed at a toll-free number.

Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK)

Child health programs are directed at early identification and intrusion for birth defects, diseases, and deficiencies.

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Conclusion

The Goal of the Mission is to advance the availability of and access to quality health care by the people, especially for those residing in rural areas, the poor, women, besides children. Universal access to public health services such as Women's health, child health, water, sanitation & hygiene, immunization, and Nutrition.

FAQs

What are the initiatives of the National Health Mission?

Major initiatives under NRHM have brought about substantial improvements in rural health systems, including human resources, program management, organization, community engagement, healthcare financing, and information technology utilization.

What are the objectives of the National Health Agency?

Capacity construction of State Health Agencies and other stakeholders is continuous. Carrying out awareness activities to inform receivers and other stakeholders about the scheme. Prevention, detection, and control of fraudulent activities and abuse. Grievance redressal for all the shareholders at various levels.

What is the national health objectives?

The National Health Policy aims to accomplish the following goals: It aims to offer superior health amenities to every age group and gender. The policy focuses on only universal access to excellent quality health care facilities at a reasonable cost. Promoting health care orientation in every developmental policy.