UPSC EDITORIAL ANALYSIS : Shaping India’s path to inclusive health care
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: The Hindu
• Prelims: Current events of national importance, WHO, NCDs, G20, age tax, mortality, fertility rate, AI, robotic surgery etc
• Mains GS Paper I & II: Development and management of social sectors/services related to Health and education etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
• World Health Day is observed every year on April 7
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared health to be a fundamental human right.
• The theme this year is “My Health, My Right”.
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE
Context
Health:(WHO)
• A certain totality of health to the realms of mental and social well-being and happiness beyond physical fitness, and an absence of disease and disability.
• We cannot achieve health in its wider definition without addressing health determinants.
Non-communicable Diseases(NCD’s):
Health status around the globe:
• Over 140 nations recognise health as a constitutional right
• WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All reports that more than half the world’s population needs complete access to essential health services.
Health equity:
• It ensures that every person has an equal opportunity to achieve their highest health potential, no matter what their circumstances.
• It recognises social, economic, and environmental factors impact on health outcomes.
• True health equity addresses the root causes of health inequities such as: poverty discrimination limited access to high-quality education healthy diet clean water and fresh air housing For example, a child born into poverty in a rural area has no access to clean water, wholesome food, or immunisations, which lays the foundation for chronic health problems.
• discrimination
• limited access to high-quality education
• healthy diet
• clean water and fresh air
• For example, a child born into poverty in a rural area has no access to clean water, wholesome food, or immunisations, which lays the foundation for chronic health problems.
Global challenges:
• The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly revealed that infectious diseases target marginalized and vulnerable groups the most, thus widening the health equity gap.
• Climate change poses a serious health risk since it disproportionately impacts low-income and vulnerable people.
• The health-care provision is severely hampered by conflicts, which destroy infrastructure, uproot communities, and shut off access to vital medical services.
#### India’s health equity challenges:
#### ● According to the 2011 Census, urban slums make up over 17% of India’s metropolitan areas, and exhibit serious health disparities.
#### ○ Health risks are increased by overcrowding, poor sanitation, and restricted access to clean water.
#### ○ Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, are 1.5 times more common in slums than in non-slum areas(Indian Council of Medical Research)
#### ● National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21) data indicates that Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes experience higher child mortality and lower immunization rates.
#### ● 59% of women in the lowest wealth quintile suffer from anemia
#### ○ Almost double the rate in the highest quintile, demonstrating the intersection of caste, gender, and economic status in health outcomes.
#### ● Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for more than 60% of all fatalities in India.
#### ● The Public Health Foundation of India: economic effect of NCDs could surpass $6 trillion by 2030.
#### ● Critical shortage of doctors: WHO data indicates only 0.8 doctors per 1,000 people, which is below the advised ratio.
#### ○ Over 75% of health-care professionals work in metropolitan regions, which only account for 27% of the population
#### ○ The shortage is particularly severe in rural areas.
#### ○ If other medical practitioners are considered, the ratio might be balanced.
What steps need to be taken?
• India’s health equity issues require a comprehensive approach beyond improvements in health-care facilities to address more extensive socioeconomic determinants of health.
• To move India toward universal health coverage and a more equitable future, the government, civil society, health-care providers, and communities need to work together.
• Governments and officials may influence the state of health through funding, creative policies, and laws. For instance, India’s Ayushman Bharat initiative provides free health coverage to the bottom 40% economically, demonstrating a commitment to reducing health disparities.
• For instance, India’s Ayushman Bharat initiative provides free health coverage to the bottom 40% economically, demonstrating a commitment to reducing health disparities.
• The National Health Mission (NHM), which includes both the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), reduces the health-care gap between rural and urban India by: expanding access strengthening infrastructure providing essential services to vulnerable populations.
• expanding access
• strengthening infrastructure
• providing essential services to vulnerable populations.
• India should turn health equality into a shared, community-driven goal by including health education in the NHM, enabling its people to seek equitable care and make educated health decisions.
• Together with the government, the public and private health-care sectors provide services to underprivileged communities, emphasizing preventive education, workforce development, and infrastructure enhancement.
• Non-governmental organizations and civic societies engage in direct community outreach to draw attention to and resolve regional health concerns. Their collaboration with international and governmental organizations allows them to tailor health initiatives that are culturally sensitive to the community’s unique needs.
• Their collaboration with international and governmental organizations allows them to tailor health initiatives that are culturally sensitive to the community’s unique needs.
• International institutions such as WHO, the Global Fund, and Gavi support health initiatives in places with limited resources and promote sharing information and resources to enhance health-care systems, especially in countries such as India.
• Through innovation and technical growth, particularly in digital health, the commercial sector and charitable organizations advance accessibility and affordability while extending reach and efficacy.
• Research institutes and academic institutions offer crucial insights into health inequalities and the efficacy of interventions, assisting in creating evidence-based practices and policies supported by scientific studies.
Way Forward
• To guarantee that everyone may live a healthy life, attaining health equity necessitates a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond legislative reform to address the socioeconomic determinants of health.
• Realizing each person’s potential for health demands a concerted effort by governments, communities, and individuals to tear down these obstacles.
• Organizations with a strong local presence are essential for health equity. They actively participate in every phase, from planning to evaluation, to guarantee the relevance and effectiveness of health programmes. They have a thorough understanding of their community’s requirements.
• They actively participate in every phase, from planning to evaluation, to guarantee the relevance and effectiveness of health programmes.
• They have a thorough understanding of their community’s requirements.
• Effective collaboration among many sectors, ranging from policymakers to grassroots organizations, may significantly enhance health equity and pave the path for a time when access to high-quality health care would be a shared reality rather than a privilege.
• India has made strides in AI applications for health care: It must continue to invest in research and development, foster collaborations between academia and industry, and create an ecosystem that encourages innovation.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
Besides being a moral imperative of the Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development.” Analyze.(UPSC 2021) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)
Editorial Analysis – 8 April 2024