The report -“World Health Statistics 2019 – Monitoring Health for the SDGs” published by World Health Organization is intended to monitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As per the said report, globally the disparities in health, survival and longevity depends upon access to food, safe drinking water, sanitation, medical care and other basic human needs, as well as behavioural choices and societal contexts that affect the survival of individuals. According to the report, global life expectancy at birth (for both sexes combined) has increased by 5.5 years, from 66.5 in 2000years to 72.0 years in 2016. The said report can be accessed from https://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/2019/en/. However, there is no country-wise ranking mentioned in that report.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has taken various measures to provide better health services to ensure healthy life and to further improve the average life expectancy of the people in the country:

In order to mitigate the effect of increasing burden of diseases associated with increased life expectancy National Health Mission has initiated various programs like National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke(NPCDCS), National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment(NPCBVI), National Mental Health Programme (NMHP),National Programme for Healthcare of Elderly(NPHCE), National Programme for the Prevention and Control of Deafness(NPPCD) etc.

The Ayushman Bharat effort, with its two components of Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), addresses disparity in access and reduces out of pocket expenditure for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization for 40% of India’s population. The scheme provides hospital care for about 1,350 illnesses at secondary and tertiary level empanelled public and private hospitals. HWC encourages healthy choices and behaviours including Yoga and other physical activities.

National Health Mission (NHM) is creating a network of 1,50,000 HWCs by upgrading existing Sub Centres (SCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), which is universal and free to all those who access public health facilities. The CPHC basket of services cover 12 key service areas, which go beyond the Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) services to include screening and care for NCDs etc.

National Health Policy, 2017 also emphasises on provision of availability of free, comprehensive primary health care services, for all aspects of reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health and for the most prevalent communicable, non-communicable and occupational diseases in the population.

 

(d):      As per “World Health Statistics 2019 – Monitoring Health for the SDGs”report, the data of India, Bangladesh and Nepal in terms of Life expectancy, MMR, U5MR and Neonatal mortality rate is placed below:

Countries	Life Expectancy at Birth (Both Sexes) (2016)	Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) per 1,00,000 live births (2015)	Under 5 Mortality Rate(U5MR) per 1,000 live births (2017)	Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) per 1,000 live births (2017)
Bangladesh	72.7	176	32	18
Nepal	70.2	258	34	21
India	68.8	174	39	24

 

 

(e):       In order to improve the health norms in the country, the Government of India has taken the following steps:

Continuum of care is being provided to all elderly citizen of age above 60 years from preventive and promotive up to rehabilitation in Geriatric units of District Hospital, Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres under National programme for Healthcare of Elderly (NPHCE).

Providing financial support in the form of untied funds, annual maintenance grants and Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) funds for development of health facilities and ensuring services.

In addition, certain new initiatives have been undertaken like the Screening for Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), Mothers Absolute Affection, Pradhan Mantri Shurakshit Matratva Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program, Mission Indradhanush, Rashtriya Swasthya Bal Karyakram (RBSK), Kayakalp, Labour room quality improvement initiative – LAQSHYA ,Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) (to end all preventable maternal and neonatal deaths), National Health Mission Free Drugs and Free Diagnostics, National programme for Palliative Care (NPPC) etc.

 

 

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MV

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