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 […]
universal healthcare
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 […]
Modicare begins on September 25th. Here’s what we know so far.
The BJP government’s large-scale health insurance initiative was rolled out in some states today, to coincide with Independence Day celebrations across the country. Though some anticipated a full-scale launch of the programme, the scheme was not launched nationwide but began a gradual rollout in select states. Full rollout of the scheme is expected on September […]
Is health insurance the route to universal healthcare?
High expectations abound for the rollout of the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) — also known as Ayushman Bharat or Modicare. As the world’s largest government-funded health programme, the project is nothing if not ambitious. However, will it be the answer to India’s ailing health system? India has numerous health concerns putting strain on the […]
Exclusive interview with Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Deputy Director General
Earlier this year, Dr Soumya Swaminathan – director of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – was appointed Deputy Director General (DDG) of programmes at the World Health Organization (WHO). Health Issues India has interviewed Dr Swaminathan, about the progress made in public health, both in India and on the global level, and what she […]
Madhu Pai: India’s ambitious new plan to conquer TB needs cash and commitment
Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people today than HIV and malaria combined. In 2015, there were an estimated 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide and 1.8 million TB deaths, according to the World Health Organization. And India is at the epicentre of this global epidemic, with half a million TB deaths annually. India also accounts for 16 […]