In 2020, a crisis hit that no country was prepared for and exposed one of society’s great fault lines: the chronic failure to adequately invest in public health and ensure universal health coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the weaknesses and flaws in health systems everywhere. India has felt the brunt acutely as the world’s second […]
universal healthcare
Reimagining India’s Health System – The Lancet Citizens’ Commission launched
Reimagining India’s Health System – The Lancet Citizens’ Commission launched Launch of initiative to develop a citizens’ roadmap to achieving universal health coverage Commission will be the first participatory, country-wide report of its scale to be developed New Delhi, December 11, 2020: India’s efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) will now be catalysed by the […]
UHC a must for a “better future”, says Vardhan
![Dr Vardhan assuming charge of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in May 2014. His reappointment marks his second stint in the post. Image credit: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (GODL-India) [GODL-India (https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf)] This file or its source was published by Press Information Bureau on behalf of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India under the ID 54064 and CNR 56840. (direct link). Vardhan out after cabinet reshuffle concept.](https://www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/800px-Dr._Harsh_Vardhan_taking_charge_as_the_Union_Minister_for_Health__Family_Welfare_in_New_Delhi_on_May_27_2014-150x150.jpg "Dr Harsh Vardhan returns to the Health Ministry")
Universal health coverage (UHC) is a must for a “better future”, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan has asserted. Vardhan chaired the 147th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board via videoconferencing. In this capacity, he pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has underscored the need for […]
Union Health Ministry lauds Ayushman Bharat
The Union Health Ministry lauded the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat in its end-of-year review. Officially known as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the initiative has been of considerable benefit to public health according to the Union Ministry of Health of Family Welfare. “So far 33 states and [union territories] are […]
Vardhan emphasises universal health coverage in the quest to meet Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) necessitate that universal health coverage be achieved, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has asserted. “Universal health coverage is key to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 agenda and to which India is firmly committed,” the Minister said at an event in New Delhi earlier this week. “Access to medical products […]
Pneumonia deaths: Fourteen children lost every hour
The world’s ‘forgotten epidemic’ of pneumonia is resulting in fourteen pneumonia deaths among children under five every hour in India. In 2018, 127,000 children succumbed to pneumonia in India, according to a joint report of the Every Breath Counts Coalition, Save the Children, and UNICEF released earlier this month entitled ‘Fighting for Breath in India: […]
‘Our legacy to future generations’: India and a malaria-free world
India will prioritise the eradication of malaria on its public health agenda, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has announced on the heels of a landmark report by experts which proclaims that a malaria-free world by 2050 is attainable – if a bold approach is undertaken. “We are working towards ending malaria as soon as […]
Ayushman Bharat: Adjustments made
A number of adjustments have been made to the treatment package available to beneficiaries of the Centre’s flagship healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat. Officially known as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the scheme is nearing the one-year anniversary of its launch. An expert committee convened by the National Health Authority (NHA) – the government […]
Ayushman Bharat on track, Vardhan tells MPs
The Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme is on track, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan informed Lok Sabha MPs yesterday. Addressing parliamentarians during Question Hour, Vardhan said that approximately 10.74 crore families were covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), better known as Ayushman Bharat. Vardhan emphasised the flexibility of the scheme in […]
What a US think tank thinks about Ayushman Bharat
A major American think tank has given a cautious vote of confidence in the Modi government’s flagship health insurance initiative, the Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) – popularly known as Ayushman Bharat, or Modicare. The Washington D.C.-based Center for Global Development (CGD) credits the initiative with “[putting] healthcare within reach for hundreds of millions, significantly […]